Jacksonville Bold for 6.26.24: Same old song

Jacksonville was ranked worst city in the U.S. to go to for summer vacation.

In HD 14, Democrats are going after their own — as national liberals try yet again to expel Rep. Kim Daniels from the House.

In doing so, outlets like the Daily Kos are demonstrating their commitment to recycling, dredging up comments Daniels made more than a decade ago — and before elections in which voters vetted her repeatedly — to spotlight various wild quotes she made from the pulpit.

“I thank God for slavery … if it wasn’t for slavery, I might be somewhere in Africa worshipping a tree,” goes one Daniels-ism locals have seen before, now rehashed for a national audience yet again.

A taste of the analysis here: “Let me remind you that this lunatic identifies as a Democrat. WTF? I first learned about her in 2018 when Paula Wright ran against her. Sadly, Paula lost. In 2020, the superstar Angie Nixon ran against her. With our help, Angie won! In 2022 the Republicans drew a district for Daniels. (Isn’t that special?) Angie Nixon now represents FL HD-13 and Daniels was elected in 2022 to represent the new FL HD-14. Again, WTF?!?”

What’s clear is this writer doesn’t understand that, yes, redistricting changes lines. And that in 2022, Daniels defeated three other candidates with nearly 45% of the vote.

A site called Down with Tyranny makes a similar case.

“A delusion psychopath (sic) and fountain of hatred, Daniels bills herself as a pastor! She preaches about demonic possession, claims that Halloween candy was ‘prayed over by witches,’ and virulently opposed inclusiveness toward the LGBT community. Needless to say, someone with this kind of a diseased brain is also an antisemite,” goes the argument.

The national left is betting on challenger Therese Wakefield-Gamble, who is very enthusiastic about this boost she is getting. (Lloyd Caulker, another challenger who says God called him to run in the Primary, is not so favored). Time will tell if money and resources manifest in the next couple of months to take a political newcomer toward a plurality in this district, one of two that Democrats control in Northeast Florida.

Nixon’s campaign lasted a lot longer in 2020 than the runway Daniels’ opponents have in this Primary, and she was able to marshal support from Democrats around the state and the country in that process. She also had a one-on-one race against Daniels.

It’s going to be tough for history to repeat.

We’re reminded of former Duval GOP Chair Tom Slade’s long-ago statement regarding marginal Republicans challenging former Rep. Corrine Brown: There’s no education in the second kick of a mule.

To the left

Speaking of Nixon, she was one of three people who had no votes against a bill banning driving in the left lane during the just-completed Legislative Session.

Though she typically doesn’t align with the Governor, she praised a veto from Ron DeSantis’ desk last week.

“It was the right thing to do. To potentially criminalize people going the speed limit because others want to be speed racers is ridiculous,” the HD 13 Democrat said concerning HB 318.

The bill’s veto got national attention. Fox News notes it would have banned drivers “from cruising in the left lanes of highways with at least two lanes and speed limits of at least 65 mph.”

“The language of this bill is too broad and could lead to drivers in Florida being pulled over, ticketed, and fined for driving in the furthest left lane even if they are not impeding the flow of traffic or if there are few or no other cars in the immediate area,” DeSantis argued in a transmittal letter Friday.

Crossing party lines

Like Daniels, Nixon also faces a Primary challenger.

Former City Council member Brenda Priestly Jackson may be running as a Democrat, but she’s doing it with Republican support.

Priestly Jackson, who told Florida Politics that she wanted an open Primary and is trying to get a write-in kicked off the ballot to make that happen, secured her $1,000 donations from Republicans during the two weeks between June 1 and June 14.

City Council member Matt Carlucci and Ballard Partners’ Jordan Elsbury ponied up.

We asked Carlucci why he was playing in a Democratic Primary.

“She has stood with me when the times were tough; she’s honest and will be a very effective legislator,” Carlucci said. “As to your other comment, I support people not parties.”

Nixon’s take is simple.

“She’s funded by Republicans. I’m funded by the people,” said the incumbent. “She’s funded by many of the same folks that fight against transformative change in marginalized communities. I’m funded by The People. We are not the same. I am driven by what the community needs, not what corporations want.”

Right now, the “people” are doing better for their candidate than GOP pillars are for theirs.

Priestly Jackson has under $9,000 on hand between her ECO, “Priestly Jackson for Neighbors,” and her campaign account.

Nixon has roughly $60,000 in her campaign account and roughly $14,000 in her political committee, “Helping Florida Families Flourish.”

Big endorsement

A Republican running to replace House Speaker Paul Renner in Tallahassee can tout police union endorsements.

Florida’s major police unions support Sam Greco’s campaign to succeed Renner in House District 19.

“The issues facing law enforcement in Florida are not only important to our members but also our families. Our members go to work every day, not knowing if they will return, and our families face this reality daily. Not only did you show you are keenly aware of our top priorities, you understand supporting law enforcement makes all our communities a better place to live and work,” Florida Fraternal Order of Police President Steve Zona said.

“You have demonstrated a clear understanding of the sacrifices our members make every day, as they risk their lives to keep communities safe throughout our state,” Florida Police Benevolent Association President John “Kaz” Kazanjian said.

The PBA endorsement comes after the Republican field narrowed to two at the end of the candidate qualifying period. The union previously endorsed James St. George, who chose to fold rather than press forward with a campaign that had lost considerable momentum following Greco’s entry and subsequent clean sweep on lawmaker endorsements.

Though Greco isn’t unopposed in August, the other competitor, Darryl Boyer, doesn’t appear to have deep pockets or a robust donor network — he’s raised about $56,000 over the past year and chipped in another $10,000 via candidate loans. Greco, meanwhile, is approaching $150,000 raised from donors on top of his own $20,000 ante.

Greco’s campaign account had about $127,000 on hand as of June 14. Boyer’s war chest was stocked with about $41,000 through the same date.

Tax troubles, again

A former member of Congress from Jacksonville continues to struggle with debt to the federal government, which has paid her salary for decades.

Democrat Corrine Brown is delinquent on her 2022 taxes, per records from the Internal Revenue Service.

The $13,747 owed is just the latest delinquent payment from Brown, whose tax troubles have become a matter of public record since her legal battles related to a former charitable organization she once ran.

Brown, who represented the Jacksonville region from 1993 through 2016, pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of tax fraud in her felony case that rocked Northeast Florida political circles years ago. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous conviction encompassing other counts of tax, wire and mail fraud.

She has already appealed to the Middle District of Florida to intervene and set up a payment plan for more than $62,000 in debt she owes to the Internal Revenue Service from that plea deal. The federal government opposes that motion, contending that the Court lacks jurisdiction to usurp the IRS collection authority.

Documents show Brown has yet another tax lien totaling $211,943, but the filing with the Middle District doesn’t address that obligation. Both liens are attached to a property at 611 Appian Way, which Duval County tax records show is in the name of the former legislator’s daughter, Shantrel Brown.

With nearly $300,000 in tax obligations and no seeming path to satisfy them, the hits keep coming for the politician once called “Queen Corrine” by her staunchest supporters.

Catch of the day

What’s one hundred million dollars between friends?

While Jacksonville Bold is not qualified to answer that question, St. Johns County is considering it. The county needs that nine-figure sum to protect Vilano Beach and North Beach.

“The surge is getting higher and higher,” County Administrator Joy Andrews told Jacksonville Today, “so today what we talked about is truly a contiguous sea wall that is going to be on the intercoastal waterway side, and that is about 1 to 1½ mile.”

Rep. John Rutherford, who recently saw St. Johns County’s Republican Party endorse his Primary opponent, Mara Macie, says he’ll fight for federal funding.

“That’s what that money should be there for,” Rutherford said. “They also have, through FEMA, the (Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program), but that’s after the fact. That’s to mitigate. I much prefer we build resiliency than mitigation.”

Workforce housing cash

DeSantis recently announced $1 million in allocations for the Community Land Trust (CLT) of Nassau County, created and maintained by the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce.

These funds are a significant step toward addressing the urgent need for available housing for the county’s essential workers: Nurses, teachers, police officers and hospitality professionals.

For years, Nassau County faced a pressing and growing demand for housing options tailored to the ‘missing middle’ — those who earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing but not enough to afford market-rate housing.

With help from the team at The Fiorentino Group, the Chamber took the initiative to establish and obtain funding for the Community Land Trust of Nassau County.

The primary purpose of the CLT is to hold land in trust and ensure the long-term affordability of the housing units built on it.

The first housing venture, situated on donated land, plans to construct 100 affordable apartments in its first phase. This initiative is specifically aimed at individuals working within Nassau County and is designed to stabilize the local workforce and foster economic growth within the county.

“We are currently in the planning phase of this first endeavor,” said Regina Duncan, president of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce. “The lack of available housing for essential workers has been evident for a while, and it is a problem that is only getting worse, not better. We recognize that this effort must be a public-private partnership and look forward to working closely with various stakeholders, including local government, to solve the housing crisis in Nassau County.”

“The funding for the Community Land Trust is a transformative investment in our community’s future,” said Steve Wylie, Chair of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce Board. “This support will enable us to make significant strides in providing housing for our hardworking residents, ensuring those who work here can also live here.”

This venture’s success and Workforce Housing’s future in Nassau County will depend on community partners willing to donate land, vacant buildings, services or funds.

To learn more, please call (904) 261-3248 or email [email protected].

New Chair in Nassau

Nassau County Democrats aren’t exactly dominating the political landscape, but a new party leader presumably wants to change that.

Suzanne Sapp of Fernandina Beach is described as having “extensive national and state voter mobilization experience to lead the Committee through this critical election year.”

“The democracy of our nation is at stake, and Nassau County voters can help save it,” Sapp said. “I want to raise awareness to all voters, regardless of party affiliation, of the issues in our communities where we share common ground, the issues that can bring us together rather than tear us apart. We must work together to get out the vote to preserve the values we hold most dear in our nation — liberty and justice for all.”

Sapp has a doctorate in psychology from New York University, which presumably will help her navigate the idiosyncratic personalities that populate county party meetings in this region and seemingly everywhere else.

Higher Ed Health degrees

The University of North Florida in Jacksonville is expanding its advanced degree offerings.

UNF officials announced this month that the school based in Jacksonville is adding a doctoral program. Applications are now open to enter the Fall 2024 Doctor of Health Administration program. That program will focus on global health leadership and associated health management systems.

“Amid the evolving landscape of health care, UNF’s new Doctor of Health Administration program stands as a beacon of innovation and progress,” said Mei Zhao, interim dean of UNF’s Brooks College of Health. “This program will empower future leaders with the knowledge and skills to navigate complexities, drive transformative change and enhance the quality of health care delivery. This isn’t just a degree — it’s a commitment to shaping a healthier, more equitable tomorrow.”

Predictable end

Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio was slain in Tampa last weekend and very few of those who have observed this iteration of the local scene will feign surprise.

Foolio, whose actual name was Charles Jones, was in the city to celebrate his birthday. He and his entourage were bounced from an Airbnb for partying too loud (illustrating yet again the need for more aggressive regulation on Airbnb, VRBO and the like) before the rapper ended up gunned down in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn before 5 a.m.

Foolio had been shot before, including in his hometown of Jacksonville, as UPROXX and other sources noted.

Rap beefs are nothing new and typically, when a performer with a lot of enemies like Foolio, who had been shot before, is gunned down, retaliation comes for those who pulled off the job — and their allies.

In other words, don’t be surprised if we hear about another high-profile rapper or associate thereof taking bullets sooner than later.

The first monopoly

With a new Monopoly game headed to the First Coast, the Florida Times-Union remembers the product from the 1980s, when the Jacksonville area looked very different from today’s.

No, the historic game didn’t delve into good-ole-boy political machinations from the southern Democrats who still dominated the local scene … but it did offer looks at former firmaments now essentially lost to the mists of time (such as the “upscale” Grande Boulevard Mall on Baymeadows, a forerunner to the luxury shopping available in some Town Center spots that the city wasn’t ready for back then).

As writer Clayton Freeman notes, much of what we have now wasn’t even a rendering when the first board was built.

“No Jacksonville Jaguars, who came into existence in November 1993 and kicked off their first NFL regular season game in September 1995. No cruise terminal at JAXPORT, opened in October 2003. No Avenues Mall (1990) or St. Johns Town Center (2005).”

Expectations grow for Lawrence

Wearing a golf shirt with a throwback Jaguars logo on the left breast, Trevor Lawrence signed the richest deal in franchise history and one of the most lucrative in NFL history. The shirt and the historic nature of the contract now give way to the future.

And the weight of expectation.

As if Lawrence hasn’t carried a similar burden since being tabbed as the top high school quarterback prospect coming out of Cartersville, Georgia, he now has a contract that will either prove to be the wisest investment in Jaguars’ history or a ruinous decision that could set the franchise back yet again.

The answer will be based on Lawrence’s performance on the field in the coming years. For now, he knows the expectations have become even more massive.

“I think it is what you make it,” Lawrence said after signing the paperwork. “Playing quarterback in this league is pressure anyway. I guess on the outside there’s going to be a bigger expectation. Being a starting quarterback in this league is a big responsibility and the team goes as you go and I know that, and that’s a big responsibility. So, I’m not going to add any pressure (on) myself just based on getting this contract. It doesn’t really change what I expected (and) the team expects of me.”

When Lawrence was drafted, there was a (somewhat troll-ish) thought that he was missing out on going to New York. The Jets held the second pick, and some thought Lawrence would disappear to the NFL world playing in Jacksonville or that, somehow, a boy from Georgia, who grew up idolizing University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, wouldn’t like it in Jacksonville. While Lawrence hasn’t lived up to the sky-high expectations placed on him coming out of college, he has played well for large swaths of the past two seasons. This year, he has high expectations for himself and the team.

“The way the organization’s going and the direction that we’re heading on the football side, that makes it obviously a no-brainer for us,” Lawrence said. “We’re heading in the right direction, and I want to be the quarterback here. I want to bring a championship to Jacksonville. That’s my goal, and I really know that we can accomplish that, so I’m excited for that.”

If Lawrence accomplishes that goal, he will have more than earned the richest contract in franchise history.

After signing a contract of this size, Lawrence will be looked at as — not just a leader — but THE leader of the Jaguars. He’ll need to lead the other leaders in the locker room. He has comported himself as a professional and a leader in his first three seasons in the league, but the stakes are now even higher.

“I know my teammates respect me, and we have a lot of leaders in the team,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, being the quarterback is, it’s a big one, and you are looked at as the leader. But we have other guys too, whether it’s on the defensive side of the bar, whatever, that have to carry their weight. And we have a great leadership group, actually, that’s been talking a lot this offseason, and we know the next step we need to take to get us to where we want to go.”

Ultimately, where they want to go is onto the postgame podium after winning the first Super Bowl in franchise history. The first step toward that goal will be to follow Lawrence’s stride.