local politics

 Please note that I am not hiding behind some obscure user name.

What is going on in Green Cove Springs? Can anyone answer that?

  Please forgive me as I may tend to "rant" in this blog entry, however, I am tired of what has been going on. Please Note that I will NOT name names on the record. If you want to know names you will have to go to city hall and ask for answers to any questions that you may have. (it is ALL public record)

  I watched this thread throughout the day yesterday (saturday) and was interested to see that we now have a Grand Jury investigation, council members moving out of the city, citizens educating each other on the charter and major complaints about a bathroom in the park.

Good Morning,

  Our city manager loves the City of Green Cove Springs & has done some very good things. It appears however that he has not followed the appropriate procedures when spending tax payer monies. We budgeted $150k for new restrooms in our city park ($112k was grant money). He spent over $206k and appears to have taken money out of a separate grant to pay for the overage. He did not ask city council for approval to spend the additional money. In my opinion, that is a violation of the city charter. His intension were good to improve the park, but when you spend over $200 a sq ft on a bathroom it creates a cloud. & taxpayers want to know why government is wasting their hard earned dollars.

Mr. Robinson states at the Good  Government meeting sponsored by OPMC that he "doesn’t want to be a commissioner."    Witnesses and other candidates at the meeting are shocked and amazed that the statement came from his mouth.   Mr. Robinson must have just realizes it is NOT EASY being a candidate for County Commissioner.  

As a taxpayer and voter you must ask yourself..............how hard do you think Mr. Robinson will work representing YOU?  How hard do you think Mr. Robinson will work at setting YOUR millage TAX rate?  For those that endorsed him.....how hard is he going to work for you now?

While Mr. Robinson stands at the podium thanking the all mighty for his reason for being here, Mr. Robinson and his band of old timers are going to work to construct negative campaign sign with circles and slashes through his opponents name and placing them on prime real estate.  Yes, they picked out their property to place their beautiful construction signs and planted them down with enthusiasm.  I’m sure the paint was barely dry as they dug the holes to place the signs.  The prime real estate was of course picked for optimum exposure to children.  Why you ask children?  Because Mr. Robinson can’t fight a fair political battle of ideas and issues, he must fight dirty.  So he picks the signs to be right across from where his opponent’s children go to school.  Not only do the children see it but so do other children, parents and teachers.   

This I have to say is the lowest I’ve ever seen a candidate stoop to in years.  I would love to hear Mr. Robinson’s answers to the questions from the children as to why he is doing this in front of their school and to their classmates father.

Doesn't anyone in Clay understand a political power grab??? I posted about Ricks running for two elected offices at one time - one a countywide party office and one as Supervisor of Elections. I was amazed how some people who think they have good intentions - or an overriding love for Republicans more than common sense - could defend Ricks.

Why would Ricks run for two offices at once??? Either because she wants to make sure of a win for at least one race and have some base of power (since Ricks is giving up her Green Cove Springs Council seat, but only at the last minute when the winner for Supervisor of Elections takes office; apparently Ricks just can't stand to give up one moment of power), or they just think they know better than anyone else what's good for all of us, and want to make sure their will is imposed on all.

I was hoping someone else would mention it, but since no one has yet, I will. I have just been given verbal permission to post this, so here 'tis:

The Federated Republican Women of Clay &

The Republican Men’s Club of Clay

Will host a Forum

July 24, 2008

Who won the Council seat in Orange Park yesterday?  Haven't seen anything about the results in newspaper or on TV.

I just had a call from a woman taking a survey.  I started to just hang up as I often do on people who intrude on "my down-time".  However, as I just finished my training on being a poll worker, I was intrigued to see this side of the political process also. 

In my previous jobs I have written survey's for marketing purposes and for employees so I know what is a good unbiased survey.  However, this survey was very biased.  It first ask me if I intended to vote in the next election and I said yes.  I actually already have a ballot which I plan to mail in as I will be working in the election.  However, this survey was about the local sheriff and crime in Clay County.  Now, maybe I should have an opinion on the sheriff's current job but I don't.  After several questions, I begin to understand the gist of the survey.  After, I was asked (paraphrasing) "Do you think crime is up in Clay County because it is up everywhere or because of activities in the sheriff's office such as changing of officer's schedules or moving them to traffic duty?"  Well, immediately the phrasing of this question ruffled my feathers as it appeared very bias and I could tell this survey had a purpose and was not unbiased.  I immediately told the person giving the survey that I could tell that this survey had an agenda and I no longer wanted to participate.

In a perfect world an elected official would serve the public for one or two terms and then step back and let a new voice and ideas take over. I have lived in northeast Florida since the early eighties, and this has only happened once that I can think of. It was Congresswoman Tillie Fowler, but she kept her word and stepped down as promised.
In an other post on this site people are having a big discussion that it takes a big name, big money, or both to get elected. Not really true, as someone has already pointed out in St. Johns County last election big money and name recognition did not help. People were fed up with development and elected two commissioners that promised to stop or at least slow down development. It was also suggested that only a certain number or “qualified” people be allowed to run. May I ask who gets to pick who is qualified and how many. No thanks this is America anyone that wants to run and meets all qualifications should be allowed to run. Plus it was also said a fund be set up and each candidate be given an equal amount from the fund and that is all the money they can spend on their election, or at least that is how I interrupted the post. Where does the money for this “fund” come from? Let me guess TAX money, no thank you. The sad fact is it takes money to get elected. If you do not like where a candidate gets his money from, run for office yourself, or find someone you can support and go door to door for him or her and collect money, hold bake sales, yard sales, car washes, whatever it takes (but don’t stand on street corners or in traffic earn the money don’t beg it) to get your person elected. On election day offer to drive people to the poles to vote, and that is the biggest problem people do not vote.

When another young American falls in Iraq and another critic of the war jumps on that growing bandwagon, that veteran joins a long, long list of men and women who have made sacrifices unimaginable to most regular folks.  And those veterans who have made sacrifices and survived to tell about it are justifiably proud of their part in defending an American way of life guaranteed by the creation of the U.S. Constitution and its first 10 amendments enumerating certain rights that cannot be taken away by government.

Even as children in elementary school, we all learn the virtues of a government in which the majority rules and people can take part in the process of selecting their own representatives who will help make government's most important decisions.   Little kids know about heroes like George Washington and there's probably an FCAT question somewhere that mentions "government of, by and for the people."