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Good Thing He’s Not Running Again
Folio Weekly noticed an interesting email among the many that were requested as part of this whole Wes White, Angela Corey, Jay Plotkin email-gate. In the message, available as a PDF here, State Attorney Harry Shorestein uses his city email account to discuss the Presidential race with a friend. At one point, Shorestein describes himself as [...]
Continue reading...Realtors Ready to Fight for More Cuts
19. May 2008
The Florida Association of Realtors is preparing to dump at least $1 million and perhaps much more into Amendment 5. That’s the so-called “tax swap” proposal that will appear on the ballot this Fall. It calls for further deep cuts in the property tax rates that will then be made up by increased sales taxes, [...]
Continue reading...First New Officers in Nine Years?
13. May 2008
The Sheriff’s office is floating a proposal to add 40 additional police officers using some excess jail funds. According to the Times-Union’s story from this morning, the expansion will represent the first time we’ve added officers to the force in almost a decade… Jacksonville officials announced plans Monday to hire 40 new police officers, the first [...]
Continue reading...Write-In Closes District 12 Primary
9. May 2008
A write-in candidate has filed to run for State House of Representatives in District 12. This was a race that had previously featured only Republicans Janet Adkins and Bob Milner. If only Adkins and Milner had qualified by the deadline, the Republican primary would have been open to voters of all parties. But it appears that [...]
Continue reading...North Lauderdale City Commission Proposes Splitting State Into 2 Floridas
8. May 2008
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the North Lauderdale city commission has passed a resolution that advocates splitting the state of Florida into two seperate states. North Florida and South Florida have different needs and priorities, the lawmakers argue, and would be best served by going their seperate ways. I have to wonder how Jacksonville leaders [...]
Continue reading...What if You Don’t Pay?
6. May 2008
The bills for the city’s new Stormwater and Solid Waste fees (taxes) are hitting mailboxes around town this week. One of the questions I’ve most overheard is “what happens if I just throw it away?” Well, there are some consequences. Much talk was made of incorporating the fee into monthly power and utility bills through JEA [...]
Continue reading...Legislature Made Some Final Decisions…
3. May 2008
Here’s a short round-up of some of the things that did and didn’t pass during the final days of the legislative session that ended Friday… The final budget was passed at $66.2 billion, significantly smaller than last year. It also includes new health-insurance plan backed by the governor. Florida adopted a new state anthem. Unsuccessful this time around [...]
Continue reading...Painful Legislative Session Ends
2. May 2008
This year’s budget is $5.7 billion smaller than the one approved just 12 months ago, causing some pain statewide. Government services will be cut back, workers won’t get raises, teachers will lose their jobs, and nursing-home patients might wait longer for bedside care. College students will pay about $70, or 6 percent, more per semester. There will be no sales-tax [...]
Continue reading...“Truck Nutz” Could Earn You a Ticket
18. April 2008
Dumb ideas for laws don’t just come from the State House of Representatives, such as a recent attempt to force mandatory criminal background checks for online dating websites. The Florida State Senate is now proving that their session lasts at least a few days too long. Clearly all of the serious issues on the table have been [...]
Continue reading...Representative Davis Has Died
10. April 2008
State Representative Don Davis passed away this morning after battling a long illness. “The City of Jacksonville and the state of Florida have lost a dedicated public servant and I have lost a dear friend,” Mayor John Peyton said this morning in a statement. Davis had struggled with health problems, suffering a stroke as a result of a brain tumor [...]
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20. May 2008
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