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Sally SwartzJune 15, 2015

Don’t try to control or shut off public comments at Martin County Commission meetings, residents told commissioners at a workshop last week. Commissioners had planned the workshop — a discussion with no official action — away from TV cameras to talk about new “rules of procedure,” which commissioners adopt each year at a November organizational […]

Guest AuthorJune 15, 2015

Let’s list the reasons why the Florida A&M University board of trustees’ is a total farce. No, it’s too much labor. Better to say the infestation of egos has made that board the laughingstock of state university boards of trustees. Or should. Chairman Rufus Montgomery again has found a way to interject his sexist machismo […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2015

The fourth and final section of Monday’s Transition Task Force budget review was a romp through the Public Works budget. For any of the previous three budget liveblogs, check our site’s Local tab. The Transition Task Force has three more days of this, as the Lenny Curry team begins its budget process on a departmental review […]

Mitch PerryJune 15, 2015

Hours before Jeb Bush was to go before thousands of supporters and formally declaring his candidacy for president, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and a few local progressive activists assailed Bush as nothing more than a right-wing Tea Party-following member of the Republican Party. “Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush are fully embracing the entire […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2015

This is a liveblog of the third of four Transition Budget Reviews on Monday, the first of four days of these (for the Inspector General’s office). For the JSO review and the JFRD review, please click the hyperlinks. 1:15 p.m.: Sam Mousa confirms that Mike Weinstein is part of the budget task force. That explains the email about a meeting […]

Melissa RossJune 15, 2015

Could the iconic downtown Jacksonville Landing be torn down and a rebuild started from the ground up? That question will be on the table Tuesday night at a workshop on the Landing’s future sponsored by the city’s Downtown Investment Authority. “We are starting from scratch,” DIA board member Doris Goldstein says. Goldstein spoke during an […]

Martin DyckmanJune 15, 2015

To hear Jeb Bush talk about Social Security is not simply to wonder whether he ever did a hard day’s work in his life, but also to doubt whether he cares that there are millions of people who must. His proposal to raise the full retirement age in stages to 70, which has become a […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2015

The Fire and Rescue blog post is here. Now comes the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office budget review. 10:11 a.m.: Pat Ivey and a budget officer represent the JSO here. 10:12 a.m.: Overall revenue in the general fund is only up $300,000. 10:18 a.m.: Red-light camera revenue is not budgeted by city. Apparently the program is “volatile” and “controversial.” […]

Guest AuthorJune 15, 2015

One of the great advantages of the universe as well as one of its biggest problems is that everything is connected to something. From the forces that act on the tiniest subatomic particle to the most massive of planets, nothing works apart from everything. Nothing exists entirely within a vacuum, completely unaffected by anything around […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2015

Today, Jacksonville begins three days of departmental budget review for the Transition Process with Sam Mousa. We will be live blogging each session. This Fire and Rescue session is the first of many. 8:33 a.m.: Thus begins an hour and a half of Fire and Rescue with Sam Mousa and Marty Senterfitt, representing the Fire Department. 8:40: Mousa is […]

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Shemiah Rutledge image via campaign

Sally Swartz: County commission’s new rules fall flat with residents

Chris Timmons: FAMU trustees’ egos fail school’s best interests

Jacksonville Transition Task Force Budget Review: Public Works

Debbie Wasserman Schultz says Jeb Bush only looks out for himself and people like him

Jacksonville Transition Task Force Budget Review: Inspector General Office

City “starting from scratch” on Jacksonville Landing, downtown investment board member says

Martin Dyckman: Jeb Bush’s apparent indifference to real lives of most Americans

Jacksonville Transition Task Force Budget Review: JSO

Gary Stein: 6 degrees of health care is no idle game

Jacksonville Transition Task Force budget review: Fire and Rescue session