Webb, who led the charge earlier this year to defeat the Mayor John Peyton's attempts to award the multi-million dollar Trail Ridge Landfill contract to Waste Management, took on Republic Services--the company at the forefront of the attempts to force the city to bid out the landfill contract--as a client. 

The rumors that Webb had a financial relationship with Republic Services had been flying around City Hall for several months, but last week, the Times-Union was finally able to verify that a relationship did indeed exist.  Webb, in defending the relationship, protested that his work with Republic Services had nothing to do with the Trail Ridge situation, and in fact, the work he had picked up for Republic Services wasn't related to Duval County at all.

To Duval County voters, however, Webb's protests fell on deaf ears.  For many, it only heightened the cynicism with which they look at local government.  The assumption among many seems to be that actions taken by local government officials are frequently designed to benefit their own interest, or those of their family, friends or business partners.  This distrust has been fueled by continual examples of behaviors that tested the ethical boundaries of what is right and wrong.

Much like the embattled politicians before him, Webb has been forced to resort to the argument that he has done nothing illegal.  And, it's quite likely that he hasn't.  But, is legal vs. illegal really the argument that public servants should aspire to?  After all, ethical behavior isn't always defined by what is legal or not.  In reality, it's what is right or wrong and there are a multitude of actions that while perfectly legal, may not be the right thing to do.  Representing a client with business before the Council, while it may not be illegal, certainly does not appear to be the right thing to do. 

Webb is certainly not the only council member who has skated along the line of activities that are ethical or not.  Another prominent member of the Council is said to personally benefit from contracts at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, yet this individual has been front and center in leading the charge to fund improvements at the stadium.  The issue of whether or not those improvements are warranted is not germaine to this conversation, but whether or not a public servant should push an issue that could potentially personally benefit them financially is.

Jacksonville deserves better from its leaders.  Instead of debating the legality of an action, isn't it time they started looking at things through the prism of what is right or wrong?  Many times the appearance of impropriety is just as damaging as any actual misdeed.  Our public servants would do well to keep that in mind.

Leggett was well known during his time on the Council for his willingness to speak out on issues that were important to him and his constituency.  In 1999, Leggett clashed with then-Mayor John Delaney and Fire Chief Ray Alfred over what he saw as their slow response in hiring enough firefighters to be able to respond to the city's rapidly-growing population, particularly on the Northside--an area that he felt was consistently under-served.  He was also fiercely protective of the needs of his district, even after he left office.

Last year, as JaxPort was promoting the addition of two major Asian shipping lines, Leggett--along with former Councilman Warren Alvarez--surfaced to share their concerns about what unplanned growth could mean for the City's Northside.  In a meeting with the Times-Union editorial board in April 2008, Leggett expressed his anxiousness over the fact that the city had done very little to plan for the massive flow of truck traffic the expansion at the port would generate.  In retrospect, Leggett's concerns over who would pay for new roadways to handle the increased traffic appear well founded.  The state's budget has contracted significantly over the last year and federal stimulus money appears to have been a one-time event for the foreseeable future.

Leggett's funeral will be held Thursday at 10:00 AM at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville where he had been a member since 2003.

What was troubling about Cuba's statement is that it has certainly not been his first controversial comments during this heated summer of budget skirmishes.  Several months ago, Cuba called for a boycott of Gate Gasoline, which is owned by Mayor John Peyton's father, to protest the Mayor's calls for pension reform.

And, Cuba isn't the only one who has launched verbal bombs during the recent budget debate.  Name-calling and personal barbs seem to have become the norm over the past several months.  It's hardly the behavior we should expect from our elected officials.  Of course, elected officials (and union leaders) aren't the only ones guilty of lowering the standard of debate.

The summer of 2009 has frequently been referred to as the "Summer of Discontent", namely for the Tea Party protests and Town Hall Meetings/Protests that have swept the country.  Jacksonville has certainly had its share of controversial protests.  And, while protest is a valued American right, there's no doubt that we've observed a rapid deterioration in "acceptable" levels of dissent.  Legitimate debate of ideas and vision is an integral component of any democracy, but personal insults and the demeaning of political beliefs that differ from our own lends nothing to furthering constructive political discourse.

In today's charged political environment, it seems that too many of our politicians are taking cues from those who have made themselves millions by stoking the flames of animosity.  Jacksonville appears to be no exception to the rule.

It's time for Jacksonville's leaders to move beyond bombastic sound bites.  It is possible to debate the future of our city while maintaining an honorable level of respect for those whose ideas differ from our own.  After all, the very fact that an individual is engaged in the debate should indicate their concern for this wonderful city we all call home.

Perhaps we can lead the nation in moving from the "Summer of Protest" to the "Winter of Discourse."  Only when we learn to respectfully listen to the ideas of others can we be confident in our own beliefs.

This article originally appeared on November 20, 2008--the month of JaxPoliticsOnline.com's inception.  In light of the recent special elections, where voter turnout in Jacksonville failed to top 20%, the points remain quite valid.

Duval County voters turned out in astonishing fashion in the 2008 Presidential race. When all was said and done, roughly 78% of the county’s voters found their ways to the polls to make their voices heard. This sense of civic duty was rather remarkable, particularly considering voter turnout in the 2007 City Elections, which featured a race for Mayor and every single City Council seat, was not even 20%.

In all fairness, 2008 turnout was somewhat of an anomaly. After all, a hotly contested Governor’s race in 2006 only drew 42% of Duval voters, slightly less than the equally febrile 2003 Mayor’s race, which managed to pique the interest of 50% of Jacksonville’s registered voters.

According to the Grand Jury report released in the Sunshine Law Investigation, the Grand Jury found that Duval County residents felt a disconnect from their local government. While many might be quick to point out the obvious—voters who don’t bother to show up at the polls will never have any sense of engagement in the process—what we really need to consider is why Jacksonville voters believe their voice counts in changing the direction of government in Washington, DC, but feel powerless to affect government within their own City?

Turning out voters is not only the responsibility of the Supervisor of Elections. In truth, there are many things that could be done both within and outside of government to improve voter involvement in local government. Here are a few suggestions:

1. For starters, our current elected officials could take steps to ensure openness and access to citizens. In this day of cutting edge technology, it’s rather bewildering that a majority of Jacksonville City Council members do not offer the public access to their incoming e-mail. No members offer access to outgoing e-mail. Town Hall Meetings seem to be few and far between. In fact, in my district, the only time I have heard of my Council member being available at a town hall-style meeting was when there was a public hearing over a zoning request change. There should also be more consideration given to the location and time of Council meetings. Most of the voting public works and finds it difficult to rush downtown for the opportunity to take advantage of the public comment time in a council meeting. (Not to mention the dearth of appropriately lit parking slots available.) I have to wonder what an occasional rotating Council meeting held, say, on a Saturday morning at alternating locations throughout the City (Mandarin, Beaches, etc) would do to increase public interest in City Council deliberations.

2. Our local media also needs to fully embrace their role as public watchdog. The Florida Times-Union did a sensational job in uncovering and investigating several recent major stories, including the Sunshine Law Violations and allegations of corruption at the Jacksonville Port Authority. Many of the local television stations have had similar pockets of success and Folio Weekly has long prided itself on its investigative prowess. Where are these media outlets; however, when local races are on the ballots? Is it too much to ask for our daily paper to commission a poll on the top five issues voters see as crucial in upcoming city elections? Such a poll could then be followed up with a five week series leading up to Election Day exploring these various issues, sharing proposed solutions and highlighting where the various candidates stand. Why couldn’t competing candidates for the Supervisor of Elections post write dueling op-ed pieces that lay out the challenges they see within the office and discuss the direction they would like to take it? Why can’t local television stations catch people walking around the St. Johns Town Center on a Sunday afternoon and ask them to pose a question to candidates running for City Council? Why couldn’t all of the outlets do a better job of expanding their online capabilities? After all, how difficult would it be to reach out to local blogs and forums to draw in educated and lively debate on issues? Why couldn’t candidate debates be posted in online formats, such as YouTube or iTunes, to make them more accessible to the public that might not be able to catch a specific program?

3. Candidates---and the political consultants that advise them---need to embrace modern technology in their campaigns. While campaign websites seem to be (ever so slowly) becoming a staple of political life in Jacksonville, one recent candidate for City Council featured a website that was absolutely appalling in its archaic insignificancy. The site was nothing more than a vapid one-page billboard—-quite startling for a city-wide election in a major population center with nearly 1 million residents. Campaigns are expensive, certainly, but many of the methods of modern media are free. Hopefully, the success of the Obama campaign should have forever established the importance of such outlets as Facebook (free), YouTube (free) and blogs (also free). Local candidates wishing to engage the ever-elusive younger voters should explore these types of mediums to communicate their messages.

4. Local campaign finance reform is long overdue. For years, local fundraising has been dominated by a few industry segments (and individuals) who have opened their coffers and exploited loopholes to bankroll their preferred candidates, often leading to situations where a candidate can haul in thousands of dollars via one individual who also happens to have multiple corporations and partnerships. Several local activists, including former city council candidate Scott Shine, have worked to advance proposals that would ban corporate contributions to Duval County races. This is something the City Council should earnestly consider. Jacksonville is long overdue to return the responsibility for local governance to the voting public that pays the bulk of the property taxes in the City. Campaigns should be about a candidate’s vision for the City, not their ability to monopolize a select few donor sources to effectively overwhelm the competition.

5. Finally, and most importantly, voters need to realize that they alone have the ultimate responsibility to become actively engaged in the process. There are multiple tools available to the public to educate themselves on candidates for office. Google the names of candidates, find their websites, read local forums, blogs and the sample ballot from the Supervisor of Elections. And, for goodness sakes, show up to vote. In today’s world, where the two weeks before Election Day offer early voting, voting is easier than it has ever been.

Jacksonville has many things of which to be proud. Our river and our beaches provide scenic beauty that is only the beginning of the advantages we have over cities throughout the country. It’s certainly time that we add the active engagement of our voting public to that lineup.

This letter from Bill Brinton, long-time opponent of billboard clutter, presents a clear case for why JTA should use their newly-discovered funds to build shelters.  The letter is addressed to Michael Blaylock, Executive Director/CEO of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

Brinton is an honorable man who has fought to improve this city for decades.  JTA, and Jacksonville, would do well to heed his advice.

In his efforts to drum up support for the team, Mayor John Peyton drew criticism last week after he made a public plea for fans to purchase tickets.

“The viability of this team in our city is critically important. The Jaguars have become a part of the fabric in this city,” Peyton said. “It’s hard to imagine not having this team here. We need to do a better job citywide supporting this team.”  Peyton went on to emphasize the fact that Jacksonville is one of only thirty-two NFL cities in the country, something that he said the city "should never take for granted."

While some applauded the Mayor's remarks, many commenters left messages on the Times-Union's online message board that, in essence, expressed a lack of concern over what the loss of an NFL might mean to Jacksonville.  In fact, many of the commenters seemed to take the stance that the presence of the Jaguars was more trouble than its worth.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled in the past few years, there was a time in the team's short history when they were all the rage in Northeast Florida.  In 1997, just a few years after the team launched, Jaguar fans were ranked the fifth most supportive fans in the NFL by the Jacksonville Business Journal and its parent, American City Business Journals.  In those first few years, Jacksonville had no problem filling up the stadium, even with the larger capacity.  Attendance did; however, begin to decline after 1998, even during that 14-2 regular season of 1999.  There are many who point to the team of the 90's and argue that they were the difference in garnering the support of Jacksonville and its surrounding counties.  The players were, for the most part, seen as active contributors to the community as a whole, something the team has really struggled with in the last few years.  Most importantly; however, they were winning games.

All that aside, Jacksonville--and indeed Northeast Florida--needs to seriously pause and consider what the loss of the team would mean to the city.  As Peyton said, the team has become an integral part the city's identity.  No longer do people wonder if you mean "Jacksonville, North Carolina" or "Jacksonville, Alabama."  The Jaguars have introduced Jacksonville to the world, even bringing a Super Bowl in 2005 that included PR on a level that most cities could only dream of.

The presence of the Jaguars; however, has meant much more than free publicity for the city.  It's also meant the generous and frequent support of local charities by Wayne and Delores Weaver.  In a 2007 article that highlighted the Weaver's $21 million gift to 38 local non-profits, the Times-Union took note of the fact that the Weaver's had given more than $42 million to local non-profits since bringing the team to Jacksonville.  That support, in a time when the city's public services grants that support non-profits has continued to decline, has been invaluable.  In fact, finding another modern Jacksonville resident who has given as generously as the Weaver's would be a rather daunting task.

And, the Weaver's haven't been the only members of the Jaguars franchise to support Jacksonville charities.  Many of the team's players have made generous donations over the years and Tom Coughlin, the team's former coach, has donated over $2 million to assist young children battling cancer through his Jay Fund.

Mayor Peyton stepped up to challenge the city because he is very well aware that if Jacksonville lost the Jaguars on his watch, that would ultimately be the only thing people remembered about his time in office.  Cities that have lost teams in the past typically spend millions, indeed, hundreds of millions in efforts to woo another team back.  It took St. Louis 7 years and $281 million to attract the Rams.  It took Baltimore 12 years and $200 million to lure the Ravens to town.  And, it took Houston 5 years and $309 million to fill the hole the Oilers had left.  Don't count on Jacksonville winning another team anytime soon.  And, even if that happened to be something in their future, the city doesn't have the hundreds of millions of dollars it would take to do it.  We have, after all, already spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past several decades trying to lure a team to town.  Why on earth would we be so willing to throw all of that away so quickly?

It's time for the Jacksonville Jaguars to get radical.  It's fairly obvious by now that their current marketing approach isn't working.  It's time to throw it out and start over.  Recast the image of the team.  Stage service days where the community can see the players commitment to the city that offers them a lifestyle many can only dream of.  Acknowledge that the coaching staff isn't getting the job done and make some sweeping changes.  Unload players that aren't getting the job done and start over.  Sell Jacksonville on the Jaguars.  It was done before.  It can be done again.

Of course, it's not just the Jaguars that need to rethink their approach.  Jacksonville needs to share the massive investment the city has put out over the years to win and retain the team.  Educate people on the vested interest the city has in keeping the team in Jacksonville.  Bring in the surrounding communities.  Orange Park needs to be part of the discussion, as does Fernandina Beach, Waycross and St. Johns County.  Each of these cities and counties benefits from the presence of the Jaguars, whether its from the economic impact of the team and the jobs their presence creates or from the support that non-profits receive from the team and its owners.

The psychological impact of losing an NFL team would be almost as devastating on the city as the economic one.  The possibility of losing the team is a discussion that no one should take lightly.

To many political observers; however, it was obvious rather quickly that Clark's political skills were less than first-rate.  Proposals to cut the Veteran's Day parade and the annual Memorial Wall installation ceremony were met with outrage in a town that sees itself as a military community.  Further proposals to slash library hours in low-income neighborhoods and eliminate programs for senior citizens brought another wave of criticism.  In the end, Clark apparently felt he had no choice other than to fold like a Dollar General tent.

What was interesting throughout the process; however, were the proposals that were never seriously considered.  There was no serious discussion over scaling down some of the Assistant Manager Improvement Officer (AMIO) positions that have ballooned in the last four years from $7.5 million to $11.2 million.  The Council certainly didn't dwell too long on the possibility of trimming their staff and there was also no earnest debate on any real trimming of their own salaries and benefits.  There was no time spent highlighting things the city could do differently, such as reforming the procurement process and seeking to achieve savings by capitalizing on the possibilities of the buying powers of the city and its independent agencies.  And, while it's impossible to know for certain at this stage, it's unlikely any significant concessions will come out of the negotiations with the city's three main unions.

So, after all of the heated rhetoric, voters are left wondering what, if anything, has really changed.  One thing is certain---the Council does need to be involved in the budget process earlier than they have been in the past.  Council Vice President Jack Webb has said he is looking for ways to improve the process next year, particularly in light of the fact that next year's budget process is predicted to be just as--it not more--painful than this years.  Here's hoping we've learned at least that lesson.

BlackBerry PIN numbers allow communications between BlackBerry devices with no paper trail.  In that sense, they are very similar to SMS text messages, viewable only if the BlackBerry device is physically in one's hand, and only before the message is deleted.

Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner (R-Boca Raton), when questioned about frequent use of his BlackBerry by the Palm Beach Post, acknowledged the fact that messages leave no paper trail and therefore fall outside of the state's public records law, but simply said "“It’s a faster form of communication."

In an interview with the St. Pete Times, State Senator Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey) told of sitting in a hearing in the Senate's Banking and Insurance Committee, while a lobbyist instant messaged questions to another lawmaker who was questioning a speaker from the Office of Insurance Regulation.

The world of SMS Text Messaging and BlackBerry PIN Messages has opened a whole new method of communication that can be used to avoid leaving a paper trail of communications between fellow lawmakers, lobbyists, members of the media and other parties.  And, the problem is likely not confined to Tallahassee.

A review of e-mails from top officials in the City of Jacksonville show a rather remarkable phenomenon. In an age that requires brobdingnagian e-mail capacity, many of Jacksonville's public officials show very few e-mail communications in their inboxes.  Some, in fact, show less than 20 a day, of which the overwhelming majority are public meeting notices and e-mails from constituents.  E-mails between senior staff members in the Mayor's Office and City Council are remarkably few and far between.  In an age where a minimum of three dozen e-mails per day is not out of the ordinary, how are officials communicating?

When Folio Weekly asked Misty Skipper, the Communications Director for Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, about the sparseness of e-mail communication between top members of the Administration, Skipper replied that the most top officials do not use e-mail, instead relying on face-to-face communications because of the closeness of their offices.

Anyone who has spent longer than a week in modern corporate America is well aware that the closeness of one's offices in no way predicates whether or not e-mail messages will be exchanged.  E-mail has replaced frequent face-to-face (or intercom) conversations in offices across the world--even in those that claim to value that "personal touch" most.  They are sent while on conference calls, they are sent to save one's self from getting up every three minutes to ask a quick question and they are sent in the midst of a conversation when a question for which one does not know the answer is anticipated.  BlackBerry PIN messages and SMS text messages are utilized just as frequently.  It is therefore highly improbable to assume that our local officials are not following closely on the heels of their Tallahassee neighbors.

During Jacksonville City Council meetings, Council members can often be seen flipping through their BlackBerrys or iPhones, often leading an observer to wonder, exactly who are they communicating with?  If Legislators in Tallahassee tell of unending PIN and SMS messages along the lines of "Kill this bill. Add that amendment. What's the vote going to be? We need to talk," are Jacksonville residents honestly to believe that similar methods are not being used during our own City Council meetings?

Likewise, key officials within the Mayor's Office are also frequently spotted on their Blackberrys, this despite the fact that very few e-mails show up in their public e-mail folders.  If they aren't utilizing their city e-mail, exactly how are they communicating?  And, with whom?

Citizens for Sunshine, a nonprofit devoted to transparency in government, told the St. Pete Times that they have asked the Public Service Commission to provide the PIN messages of its staff and commissioners.

"It seems to be the all the rage these days for public officials to use unconventional methods of communication to circumvent public records law, and BlackBerry PIN-ning is certainly one of those forms,'' Michael Barfield, a legal consultant to the group, told the Times. "It raises questions in my mind: Why would someone use PIN-ning when the e-mail is readily available and text messaging is readily available?"

Perhaps some of Jacksonville's media outlets might consider a similar request of City Hall.

On Wednesday, the City Council Finance Committee wrapped up their hearings on the budget with a parting shot to the Jacksonville that so many of us aspire to.  Before we lay all of the blame at their feet, it's only fair to mention that both of Jacksonville's branches of government--legislative and executive--were quite complicit in this final action.

Speaking before the Finance Committee, Library Director Barbara Gubbin said that the Mayor's budget proposal and the additional 3% in cuts ordered by the Committee had left her no choice other than slashing hours and cutting staff.  As a result, Gubbin said, the Duval County Public Library would cut 21 positions and reduce hours at six locations, all of which are in north and northwest Jacksonville--predominantly lower-income neighborhoods.  Some of the branches will now only be open four hours a day, others five.  In all, there will be 130 fewer hours of library access for a very concentrated area of Jacksonville.

(View in Google Maps)

Nearly a decade ago, when voters passed the Better Jacksonville Plan, city officials were excited about what the prospects of a new libraries, particularly the new Downtown Library, would do for Jacksonville.  "We're hoping to be a catalyst for growth," Sylvia Cornell told The Library Journal in 2001, "That is our plan. We have a great riverfront in Jacksonville, and there are condominiums and more being built."

Now, eight years after that interview, we know that many of those dreams didn't pan out.  Some never made it past the architectural drawing board, some stand half vacant and some stand half built and abandoned.  The downtown library; however, is the element that Jacksonville followed through on---at least the construction of it.  Dollars spent to fund it, and the other branches of the Jacksonville Public Library system, have been cut year after year after year.  Despite the fact that the Downtown Library can be found packed on nearly any Sunday afternoon, Sunday hours have been eliminated at nearly all of the branches locations.  Now, Jacksonville stands ready to further decimate public library funding by reducing hours in low-income communities.

Other cities have actually used libraries as the centerpiece of rebuilding impoverished areas.  In that same Library Journal interview, the head of Nashville's Library System told the magazine that Nashville intended to use their new main library and five new branches to "be the community's foundation."

City Councilman Johnny Gaffney, whose districts includes several of the neighborhoods that will be affected by library cutbacks, expressed disbelief and frustration with City Government.  Stunned that hours were being cut during the hours that school children would be free to use the libraries, Gaffney announced his intention to fight the cuts.  Arguing that the branches affected were in communities with the most need for library services, he lashed out in an interview with The Florida Times-Union.  "I'm not going to have this on my shoulders, because our kids don't have accessibility to our libraries."

Perhaps the most disappointing element of this entire budget process is that the Finance Committee managed to push through all of these cuts, many of which will have a disproportionate impact on Jacksonville's children and lower-income residents, without sacrificing any of their own benefits.  Their pensions remain intact and each Council member will retain an aide.  No AMIO reform was undertaken to shrink that ballooning expenditure and the City Council President will still draw an additional $15,000 in salary.

Priorities, priorities...

There are times when you wonder if our elected officials ever stop to consider how a particular action they take might look to the outside world.  And, the evidence seems to indicate that forethought on the Council's part is not frequent.  This is the same Committee, after all, that voted last week to eliminate funding (in a military town) for the city's Veteran's Day parade.  This action by the Committee is even more shocking.  Children as young as five years old will be forced to pick up trash to "pay" for their summer camps, something that may expose them, as Jacksonville Children's Commission Board President Anne Egan protested, to drug paraphernalia.  One can only imagine the field day national media will have broadcasting images of impoverished five year olds picking up discarded needles in overgrown city parks (remember we aren't mowing the parks as frequently now because of budget cut backs) around the world.  The oft-maligned City slogan of "Where Florida Beings" will quickly give way to "Jacksonville:  Where Forced Child Labor Begins."

And, it's not just about the city's image.  Jacksonville lawmakers appear to have given no thought to the effect their actions may have on the psyche of these young children.  The children, who overwhelmingly hail from minority households, are already starting life at a disadvantage from their middle and upper class peers.  They are less likely to receive three nutritious meals a day, less likely to have to have two parents in the home, less likely to have access to quality healthcare and now, thanks to the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee, more likely to grow up feeling that they are somehow inferior to their wealthier peers in the eyes of city government.  After all, the Council is not asking elementary school children at Hendrick's Avenue or Alimacani--who attend school on a daily basis courtesy of the taxpayers--to work off their "keep."  The message to the children of Jacksonville's less fortunate is clear:  We'll educated you if we are forced to, but along the way we'll rob you of the innocence of childhood by forcing you to work at the age of five.  And, just for kicks, we'll remind you on a weekly basis that you are inferior to other children whose parents are in higher income brackets.

Teaching children appreciation and responsibility is an admirable task and no doubt that's what the Finance Committee had in mind, but when the Council--which is supposedly stacked with conservatives who believe in less government--begins to legislate forced "appreciation", they have overstepped their bounds.  The Council certainly hasn't pushed through similar legislation that would require children of middle and upper class parents to perform two hours of weekly forced labor for their parents in "appreciation" of the parent's picking up the tab for their summer camp.  Why would the Council choose to punish children whose parents are unable to afford to enroll them in summer activities without city sponsorships?

Perhaps Jacksonville needs its own Jane Addams or Florence Kelley.  Nearly 100 years after child labor was outlawed in the United States, Jacksonville appears intent on bringing it back.