Jax

Melissa RossJanuary 6, 2016

On Saturday, the 14th anniversary of the day that the first detainees were taken to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, anti-war activists from across the country will march on U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Doral to demand the immediate closure of the prison. At one point, 779 prisoners were held at Gitmo without trial or charges. Today […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 6, 2016

As members of the Lenny Curry administration will tell you, details regarding the proposal to extend the Better Jacksonville Plan half-cent sales tax until 2060 to pay off unfunded pension liability are still being ironed out. That includes in Tallahassee, where two variations on the same bill will be introduced, one in each chamber. State Rep. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 6, 2016

Going into Wednesday’s meeting in Jacksonville, state Sen. Audrey Gibson and NextGen Energy agreed that they were meeting, but not what they were meeting about. Gibson’s letter in December, promoting the event, concerned “engaging Faith Leaders to help with planning power for communities, with an eye towards 50 percent clean carbon-free energy by 2030.” “Engaging faith and […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 6, 2016

“The people made it clear what they wanted,” a re-elected politician said. “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and I intend to spend it.” That politician: George W. Bush, in 2004. Bush 43 learned about the finite power of political capital the hard way: seeing his father go from 91 percent approval ratings to […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

In the Riverside area of Jacksonville on Tuesday, a Donald Trump banner in a storefront window was defaced with Nazi iconography. SS insignia were painted on the glass, covering the collar of his shirt. A Hitler mustache, painted over his top lip. A swastika, emblazoned on his forehead. And the banner message? “Heil Donald Trump: Nazi […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee was not without its highlights. — Chief Financial Officer Mike Weinstein was on hand, discussing the extension of the 1/2 cent Better Jacksonville Plan tax to pay for the Unfunded Liability on public pensions, a presentation he had made earlier on Tuesday in RCDPHS. Weinstein, on his […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

Jacksonville City Council’s Tuesday Recreation, Community Development, Public Health, and Safety (RCDPHS) committee meeting was highlighted by Pension Tax and Public Health talk, and an extended discussion of a controversial Fire and Rescue salary allocation from September’s budget hearings. The Health Department’s Kelly Wells announced new initiatives, such as the 60 Days to Better Health challenge […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

On Monday, the Jacksonville City Council Neighborhood Improvement and Community Enhancement Committee kicked off 2016. The ad hoc committee has become a source of consternation for many on Council, who note that it is unable to take action, and is just a deliberative committee. Some highlights included a further discussion of Land Bank issues and […]

Melissa RossJanuary 4, 2016

History shows that a rebounding economy tends to favor the Democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential election, say two North Florida economists, with the caveat that it’s a long way between now and Nov. 8. Forecasts for the coming year are all over the map, but economist Andres Gallo of the University of North Florida is on […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 4, 2016

Brunswick, Georgia pastor Kenneth Adkins had a busy holiday season, with a lot of time spent attacking Councilman Tommy Hazouri for desiring to expand Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance He started off the New Year calling out four other Council members: Garrett Dennis, Katrina Brown, Reggie Brown, and Reggie Gaffney. Adkins’ language was typically florid. “These four African American Jacksonville City Council […]

Jax

Anti-war activists will rally in Miami to close Gitmo

Travis Cummings, Rob Bradley discuss Jax pension tax proposal

Audrey Gibson, NextGen Climate hold community forum on clean energy

Lenny Curry, the pension tax, and political capital

Donald Trump banner in Jax defaced with Nazi iconography

Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee discusses pension tax plan

Jax rec committee talks public health, pension tax plan, JFRD budget

Jax NICE Committee kicks off 2016, discusses “Spring Clean Jacksonville”

Improving economy slightly favors Democrats in 2016 (but anything can happen)

Pastor Ken Adkins calls out African-American Jacksonville City Council members