Archive | Political Favortism

Sure, I Could Have You Audition For The Part. But I Like Your Face So You’re In The Show!

Recently, there has been a lot in the news about competitive bidding for government contracts in Jacksonville. First, the city is considering awarding a landfill operations agreement with Trail Ridge Landfill, a subsidiary of Waste Management of Florida, without competitive bidding. Waste Management of Florida is using the the carrot and stick approach of lowering the base costs of its landfill services along with an intimidating lawsuit threat to force the city to give it a 40 year contract for about three quarters of a billion dollars without looking at other companies.

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Hey, Since You Are Coming This Way, Can You Pick Up My Laundry, Too?

Accusations of special treatment provided to U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and City Councilwoman Denise Lee have embarrassed the Peyton administration once again.  According to a recent Florida Times Union article, it only took a phone call from Brown’s area director to start the ball rolling on the delivery of sandbags to Brown’s house to protect it from flooding.  Apparently, this assistance was not provided to anyone else in her neighborhood. Lee did not even have to ask for help when city trucks also showed up to her house with sandbags.  It was not until her neighbors complained that the sandbags were removed from her property.

We have to ask if this is standard operating procedure for all houses threatened by rising water or do you need to hold the purse strings to the federal and city money that finances city operations to get this kind of response from the city?  Mayor Peyton seemed oblivious to the implications of the city Public Works Office’s actions when he said that he was “delighted our public works employees were able to help save these homes”.

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Jacksonville City Government Tax and Spend Hall of Shame

  • Out of Control County Courthouse Costs
    The original cost of the new county courthouse was supposed to be $190 million, but it soon ballooned up to $400 million before it was finally approved at $350 million by the City Council.
  • Peyton's Three New Fees
    Following the property tax reductions enacted by the Florida legislature, Mayor Peyton and the City Council rolled back needed tax relief by imposing three new costly and regressive fees on Jacksonville taxpayers.
  • Shipyard Debacle
    What do you get when you join a poorly drawn up contract with lax oversight of the downtown riverfront project by the city? $36.5 million spent, no downtown park and riverwalk and a black eye for the JEDC.

Jacksonville City Government Tax and Spend Hall of Shame






Out of Control County Courthouse Costs

The original cost of the new county courthouse was supposed to be $190 million, but it soon ballooned up to $400 million before it was finally approved at $350 million by the City Council.

Peyton's Three New Fees

Following the property tax reductions enacted by the Florida legislature, Mayor Peyton and the City Council rolled back needed tax relief by imposing three new costly and regressive fees on Jacksonville taxpayers.

Shipyard Debacle

What do you get when you join a poorly drawn up contract with lax oversight of the downtown riverfront project by the city? $36.5 million spent, no downtown park and riverwalk and a black eye for the JEDC.