JaxDaily: Our area is electing a lot of fresh faces to the legislature this year. What about your particular background and experience qualifies you to hit the ground running if you are sent to Tallahassee?

Lake Ray: It is important that we send people to Tallahassee who have experience in the process of legislating. As the only candidate who has already served our community in office I bring eight years of knowledge in how to get things done from my time on the Jacksonville City Council. During that time I not only worked on issues important to the district I represented, such as replacing the grating on the Mathews Bridge, securing funding to expand and improve Ed Austin Regional Park and voting to lower the millage rate on our homes (eight times), but I also worked with our representatives in Tallahassee on important regional issues that affect our every day lives.

For eight years I went to Tallahassee working to secure funding for our schools, roads and parks and building the relationships necessary to hit the ground running to the serve the community in the Legislature.

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JaxDaily: What is your opinion on the St. Johns River Water Management District’s proposal to drain water from the river to supply Central Florida’s growing needs? How can we protect the river while balancing the economic realities of our situation?

Lake Ray: I am 100% against any plan that seeks to take water from the St. Johns River and send it elsewhere.

Several years ago, there was a plan to draw water from the Floridan Aquifer and send that water to Central and South Florida. I led the fight on the City Council to stop this from happening and we prevailed. Now, for the same reasons, there are those south of us who want to mitigate the mistakes of their poor planning by taking our water from our river. We cannot let this happen and I will work tirelessly to stopping this ill conceived plan.

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JaxDaily: What, if anything, can the state do to help the City of Jacksonville solve the high violent crime rates that we’ve been experiencing?

Lake Ray: An educated community is one that has fewer incidents of violent crime. The state can help by putting more resources into classrooms so that children can learn and teachers can teach, all within a safe and secure environment.

We also need to make sure that our officers on the streets have the resources that they need to keep us safe. As a member of the Jacksonville City Council I voted over two hundred times in support of our law enforcement officers, giving them the tools that they requested to fight crime.

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JaxDaily: Who are of the groups and individuals that have endorsed your candidacy?

Lake Ray: North East Florida Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors, Northeast Florida Builders Association, First Coast Manufacturers Association, AFL-CIO, Florida Medical Association, Duval Teachers United, Associate General Contractors, Utility Contractors’ Association, Associated Builders and Contractors.

Former Jacksonville Mayors, John Delaney and Jake Godbold; State Senator Steve Wise, State Representatives Jennifer Carroll and Charles McBurney; current members of the Jacksonville City Council, Bill Bishop, Michael Corrigan, Art Graham, Ray Holt, Kevin Hyde, Glorious Johnson, Steven Joost, Don Redman and Clay Yarborough; former Members of the Jacksonville City Council, Warren Alvarez, George Banks, Matt Carlucci, Lad Daniels, Sharon Copeland and Gwen Yates.

These groups and individuals all trust that I am prepared to do the job on day one.

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JaxDaily: It seems that a write-in candidate has filed to run in your race, essentially with the purpose of closing the Republican primary to only Republican voters. First off, does this help or hurt your campaign? And secondly, how do you feel about the loophole that allows write-ins to be used to selectively close party primaries?

Lake Ray: It really has no impact as the race was closed when a Democrat filed to run.

(Editoral note - when this question was asked, the Democrat candidate had been disqualified from appearing on the ballot. She has since been reinstated.)

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JaxDaily: On a more personal note, have you read any good books lately?

Lake Ray: Faith in God and Generals. A book about the faith of the Generals in the Civil War.

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JaxDaily: What’s your favorite place to grab a bite to eat?

Lake Ray: Home, with my family.

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JaxDaily: Who are some current or past leaders that you admire?

Lake Ray: Ronald Reagan, George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

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JaxDaily: What other kinds of things do you enjoy doing while you’re not campaigning?

Lake Ray: Mostly, spend time with family, friends and studying history.

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JaxDaily: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Lake Ray: During the course of this campaign I have met with thousands of people who live in the district. Learning from them, their hopes and dreams and what they want to see done in Tallahassee. From them I have learned that their top priorities are keeping our streets safe, energy independence, getting more resources into our schools and protecting our river. Those are my priorities and the things that I will fight for.

The job of representing our city in Tallahassee is an important one and in order to accomplish our goals, our next representative must be ready. I am the only candidate that has the experience and relationships necessary to be an effective legislator on day one.

The new forecast at 5pm has the storm blowing into town early Wednesday and lingering for up to 48 hours as it stalls and wanders a bit before heading off to the North.

To keep up with the latest on the storm, check out JaxDaily’s new weather page!

Corey has a close relationship with Duval County Sheriff John Rutherford and the police unions, which she has trumpeted.

Teamwork and strong prosecution are essential, but the “war on crime” approach has not been productive in addressing root causes of crime. There seems some danger that Corey falls in that camp.

Corey views the sheriff, for instance, as a partner in the criminal justice system. Corey insists she means that she would work well with police to provide the best service for the people. She says she is her own person and will not relinquish her independence for anyone.

Plotkin takes issue with Corey’s statement that police would be her No. 1 client. He says the people are the primary client. Yet, he says he has a different personality than Shorstein, is less confrontational, and has a good working relationship with the sheriff.

Plotkin pledges to increase partnership with the sheriff’s Operation Safe Streets initiative.

But ultimately, the paper cites Plotkin’s leadership experience as the key to his endorsement…

Plotkin says that the State Attorney’s Office is one of the largest law firms in the city and that he is a proven administrator. That is an issue in an era of tight budgets.

Corey says she will hire an experienced administrator, preferably with a military background, and that the state attorney is a leader and should not be running the daily details of the office.

That begs the question, however. The head of a law firm ought to have management expertise. Plotkin has handled both the administrative details of the office and the prosecution of high-profile cases.

Gordon Morgan recently retired as the Chief Assistant Clerk of the Duval County Circuit courts. He has decided to seek the Republican nomination to run for State House of Representatives in District 17, the seat currently held by Stan Jordan who is prevented from running for re-election due to term limits. Mr. Morgan recently took a few moments to answer some questions for JaxDaily…

JaxDaily: Our area is electing a lot of fresh faces to the legislature this year. What about your background and experience qualifies you to hit the ground running if you are sent to Tallahassee?

Gordon Morgan: Before retiring to run for the Florida House, I served as the Chief Assistant of the Duval County Clerk of Courts. I supervised 480 employees and a $20 million dollar budget.

The Clerk of Courts is a state office that requires interaction with a municipality so I am familiar with the kind of work that is necessary to maintain a positive relationship between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.

I am also glad to see new faces stepping up to lead. We have too many people trying to make a career on the backs of the hard working people of Florida.

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JaxDaily: What groups or individuals have endorsed your candidacy?

Gordon Morgan: I have been endorsed by the Retired City Employees of Jacksonville, The Ironworkers of Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. I have also received the support of Jim Fuller, the Clerk of Courts for Duval County, and Henry Cook. I would also like to thank Mr. Tom Petway for encouraging me early in my campaign when I didn’t have any support.

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JaxDaily: What is your opinion on the St. Johns River Water Management District’s proposal to drain water from the river to supply Central Florida’s growing needs?

Gordon Morgan: For me, protecting the St. Johns isn’t just talk. I am a dues paying member of the St. Johns Riverkeeper and I believe the St. Johns is an absolute treasure the city should do everything in its power to protect.

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JaxDaily: What, if anything, can the state do to help the City of Jacksonville solve the high violent crime rates that we’ve been experiencing?

Gordon Morgan: I am old enough to remember a time when you could go to Regency Mall and not worry about being a victim of crime. I have been a victim of crime twice in my life. I was randomly shot in 1974 by the “Casanova Killer” Paul John Knowles and was dying before I had my life saved by firefighters in Arlington. During this campaign, I had my car stolen from my driveway. The crime problem is no joke.

I attended the Ft. Caroline neighborhood watch meeting the other night and heard Sheriff Rutherford lament as he is arresting the same people 2-3 times a month. That is absurd. As the Chief Assistant of the Clerk of the Courts, I was witness to this and I know that we need to send the message that you will pay the price when you commit a crime.

Lastly, the state can assist by providing extra funding not only for crime initiatives, but education as well. One of my platforms is to properly fund education to keep today’s kids out of tomorrow’s jails.

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JaxDaily: While you would probably admit to being considered the underdog in the race, you are out there aggressively campaigning and fundraising. What do you think your chances of actually winning are?

Gordon Morgan: I believe I have a very good chance. I haven’t had the money to do polling, but I have been conducting my own poll. I have been walking and knocking on doors every day since mid-February. The response has been great. I have just about covered every precinct in District 17.

As I have said many times, nobody is working harder than me in this campaign. I have walked in blistering heat and humidity, heavy rain, and lightning. I am a former U.S. Marine. I have no quit in me. This discipline is indicative of the way I will work for the people of District 17 in Tallahassee.

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JaxDaily: It seems that a write-in candidate has filed to run in your race, essentially with the purpose of closing the Republican primary to only Republican voters. First off, does this help or hurt your campaign? And secondly, how do you feel about the loophole that allows write-ins to be used to selectively close party primaries?

Gordon Morgan: Currently, it is totally legal so there is nothing to complain about. It doesn’t matter to me. I can only control how hard I work. If the write in candidate has a way to better the lives of the people of District 17, then bring them on.

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JaxDaily: What’s your favorite place to grab a bite to eat?

Gordon Morgan: Nothing beats the taste of my mom’s home style cooking. However, when I am out and about, I love to eat at the University Diner at Cesery and Merrill Rd. While campaigning on the north side, I have become fond of Terry’s and Toby’s.

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JaxDaily: Have you read any good books lately?

Gordon Morgan: No. I can’t walk, bang on doors, and read at the same time.

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JaxDaily: What other kinds of things do you enjoy doing while you’re not campaigning?

Gordon Morgan: My campaign manager won’t let me do anything else. I start at 6am and go until 9pm every day. I do recall having a Harley Davidson and some guns.

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JaxDaily: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Gordon Morgan: I am not a politician. I am a hard worker and will be very straight and to the point with constituents. I don’t have any scripted answers that dodge questions.

Serving the citizens of District 17 is a full time job. It is what they deserve and it is what I will give them. I am the only candidate in this race that has retired to run for office.

Thank you for having me Austin.

Today marks the start of early voting for the August 26th primary elections.

Early voting will run from today through Sunday, August 24th. The polls will be open on weekdays from 10:00am until 6:00pm. Early voting on the weekends is also available, on both Saturday and Sunday, from 1:00pm until 5:00pm.

Any registered voter may vote at any of the following spots in Duval County…

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
(DOWNTOWN)
105 East Monroe Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202

WEST REGIONAL LIBRARY
1425 Chaffee Road South
Jacksonville, Florida 32221

For more information about surrounding counties visit their Supervisors of Elections websites…

Baker County

Clay County

Nassau County

St. Johns County

Rumors that Governor Crist might be tapped by John McCain to serve as his Vice-Presidential running mate continue to be promoted, although less frequently than several months ago. Crist said he and his fiancee have not talked about the possibility of moving to Washington if he’s selected for the post.

Backup quarterback Cleo Lemon looked decent and he put together some nice plays. Matt Jones had three catches, and Maurice Jones-Drew was sharp with five nice carries.

A fan clipped together some of the highlights and posted them on YouTube…

Here’s a video from their recent performance on Letterman…

Earlier tonight, I had a snack of some Winn-Dixie brand toaster pastries. Basically, the Winn-Dixie store brand version of Pop Tarts. I decided not to toast them and was just going to eat them from the package. The side of the box even says they can be eaten slightly warmed from the toaster/microwave… or directly from the package.

They come two to the sleeve, and I first consumed one of the pastries… then a minute later went to remove the second one from the package. But I (thankfully) noticed something a little bit odd hanging onto the front. It looked kind of like an empty spider’s nest. No visible bugs, but something disgusting was certainly attached to the tart. Also, in this case, the product isn’t expired. The package is still fresh until November according to the label.

What is this? You be the judge…

Frankly, this isn’t the first time I’ve bought something disgusting at Winn-Dixie. About four years ago I purchased some frozen pizzas there, only to discover that they’d already gone (way) past their expiration dates. A little over two years ago, I purchased a package of soy cheese. When I got it home, it turned out that the cheese was so expired that it had turned to almost mush in the package. But at least I didn’t eat that. I did eat one of these pop tarts.

Supposedly, Winn-Dixie’s reputation of sub-par quality is what prompted their “Getting Better All The Time” campaign. And sure, the stores do look a bit nicer and are more brightly lit as of late. But that’s not helpful if there are spiders in the food.

I’m going to go downstairs and if I find any more Winn-Dixie brand products in my fridge or pantry… they’re going into the garbage.

For now, I am done shopping at Winn-Dixie.