A.G. Gancarski
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a verboten concept for Republicans leading the state. And if a City Councilman has his way, the same will be true in Jacksonville.
Motivated by concerns about spending operational reserve money in the proposed budget from Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan, Republican Rory Diamond is ready to dump DEI from that $1.9 billion-plus spending plan, in an effort to battle what he calls “wild, liberal spending.”
Diamond “plans to introduce an amendment to this year’s budget prohibiting the use of city funding for DEI.”
“The amendment will define DEI as the following: ‘Diversity, Equity and or Inclusion’ or ‘DEI’ is any program or policy that classifies individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals on the basis of such classification,” reads a release from his office.
The city does have a Diversity and Inclusion Director, Parvez Ahmed, whom the Council balked at paying last year. Publicly owned utility JEA has had one since 2022.
Diamond has also introduced separate legislation to reduce the Mayor’s transfer power from $500,000 to $100,000, and “balanced budget” legislation “that will not allow future budgets to spend more than 1% more of City revenue than is projected.”
“The Mayor’s budget is almost $47,000,000 over-budget and does not present the conservative values of the people of Jacksonville. These new laws will ensure a balanced budget and tight fiscal control over our City’s finances. This is the only way to protect our tax payers from this wild, liberal spending,” Diamond said.
That $47 million number represents the administration’s proposal to spend operational reserves on one-time expenses.
“Jacksonville’s general reserves are like our family savings account — there for tough budgets and unexpected circumstances. The annual budget has both used and replaced reserves 9 of the last 10 years. It’s a common practice. Even with a handful of one-time expenses covered by reserves, we still have double the amount we targeted,” Deegan contended.
11 comments
the Truth
August 7, 2024 at 9:18 am
Way to go Rory Diamond, a true Conservative, lets hope all the Republicans on the council join with him, except for Matt Carlucci, of course, who is a Democrat
MH/Duuuval
August 7, 2024 at 9:34 am
Rory Diamond is a poser and anyone who has ever seen him up close and listened to him will recognize that he is speaking from a script written by MAGA insiders in Duval and Tallahassee. (His pernicious involvement in the school bond referendum demonstrated this.)
Diamond aspires to higher office but can’t carry the water. And, why, exactly, did he leave a cushy, high-paying position at K9s for Warriors and run off and join the US foreign legion?
Frankie M.
August 7, 2024 at 9:45 am
Rory is not a “true conservative” with his alternative lifestyle. He is a DEI hire. Can he fire himself?
Bonnie Hendrix
August 7, 2024 at 12:26 pm
Rory Diamond is a pawn of the old regime. He seeks attention in hopes of furthering his aspirations. As a gay man he should understand the importance DEI to include educating others on the value diversity brings. He benefits from DEI programs yet seeks to deny benefit to others. Jax Beach residence deserve better representation.
the Truth
August 8, 2024 at 10:49 am
I am against DEI & Affirmative Action. just get the job because of you own ability, no racist quotas…I support Rory Diamond, true conservative, reign in liberal Deegan’s spending, she is a one term disaster of a mayor
Not my mayor
August 8, 2024 at 6:06 pm
Let’s hope Council can keep trying to locate its cojones after a long time of them being misplaced. This needs to be fought tooth and nail. The mayor has set this City on a collision course to ruin. Only the taxpayers are left with the mess. She will be long gone. No accountability to be found in this administration. None.
MH/Duuuval
August 8, 2024 at 9:51 pm
So Deegan should have had the cojones to veto the bill that passed in Council by a comfortable margin to enrich further Shad Khan?
the Truth
August 9, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Deegan is Khan’s puppet
Concerned
August 9, 2024 at 12:43 pm
When one constantly places themselves in the spotlight; trying to get attention for themselves; one must wonder why and why such an individual would attack others frequently.
A quick look produced several interesting stories about the council person is attacking Mayor’s Budget or spending.
Dog Gone! and Diamond’s Dogs were both quite interesting reads for him to be accusing anyone of “wildly liberal” spending. It only made you wonder what money in the budget he is trying to carve out for himself, later.
The Republican agenda continues to be….take public monies, JEA, neighborhood public school monies, etc., REDUCE city and county funds, and move those monies to private entities to further enrich themselves.
the Truth
August 9, 2024 at 9:01 pm
there is another RINO on the city council. Will Lahnen, he voted to keep the $230,000 DEI position on the payroll. the vote was 4 to 2 to remove the position, Will Lahnen , voted with democrat Jacoby Pittman to keep the position, the other four republicans voted to abolish the position.
the Truth
August 11, 2024 at 8:46 am
just discovered another RINO, Michael Boylan voted for the Hate Crimes bill on 8/7. they always show their true colors
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