Did Obama’s heavy hand cause the demise of Virginia College? Students pay the price.
Virginia College, Jacksonville, at Beach and University boulevards, has closed along with the company’s other facilities nationwide. The private college offered courses and associate’s degrees in business administration, computer technology, cosmetology, culinary...
Hart Bridge ramps: Building in a cow pasture is not as risky as building on prime riverfront land.
The big breaking news is in: The Hart Bridge Ramps to downtown are coming down and our taxpayer dollars will pay for it. Pay for Mr. Shad Khan -- a billionaire -- to see his dream become a reality. Forty-five years ago, the citizens of Duval County paid to build...
JEA: We have our Eye on you and you’re looking good!!
If you have ever had your home appraised, you know how exciting it is to hear it's worth more than you imagined. And the next question in your mind would be -- "Is this a good time to sell?" It's a game homeowners play with their equity. Should I sell or wait for...
The Curry Wall: Preventing access to public information. Maybe we should “recycle” politicians?
Putting stuff into the yellow-topped curbside recycling bins may make homeowners feel virtuous, but it probably isn’t saving the taxpayers any money. The popular notion is that the garbage is sold and the operation breaks even or makes a profit. Not quite. The city...
Mayor Curry realizes the taxpayer lemon can only be squeezed so much.
Mayor Lenny Curry has the right idea – put off plans for a new convention center. That perennial question had popped up again, and it is premature. Jacksonville didn’t have a convention center until the 1970s. Conventions did their business in the hotel where they...
JEA Customers: You best pay respect to the JEA Board’s decision for our new/old CEO.
In May, I wrote an Open Letter to the JEA Board regarding the Board Chair's Statement, "JEA does not have a “documented CEO selection process." You can read that letter here: Open Letter to JEA Board A couple of mentions about that letter: It was the most read...
Six Months After Asking – Eye hears from Duval Schools about Sex with Students. Yep it’s happening.
On the day before Thanksgiving, Eye got a gift for which we are thankful. The public school system answered a question we asked last May. In August, they told us we could have the info for $107.60, which we paid. As it turns out, they gave us more than we asked for,...
Landing Christmas: The Sleiman Family gives to the city in the Spirit of Christmas.
Once again, the Landing Christmas tree lighting ceremony officially declares the beginning of "Christmas in Jacksonville." Thank you to the Sleiman Family who -- against the local government "leadership" -- ignored them and created a wonderful night for...
Billie Tucker’s Op-Ed: Blue doesn’t look good on you Duval. Will Trump lose because of us?
I just returned from the hospital - unnamed for now to protect the innocent - and it's been a lousy day. I woke up early to take my brother to the...
Downtown Revitalization: Are we beating a dead horse?
Downtown “revitalization” has been a topic in City Hall for as long as I can remember. In the 1940s, Mayor Haydon Burns led an effort to clean up the city, especially the waterfront, where aged and unsightly docks ruined the view of the magnificent river. Burns...
Will we ever know if teachers are having sex with students in Duval County?
Our quest to obtain public records from the local school district has resulted in assurance from the school superintendent that we will succeed. As Eye on Jacksonville readers know, we began asking school officials last May whether any local teachers have been accused...
Good intentions: They are never that good when it comes to spending OUR money.
Good Intentions The current minimum wage is $8.25 per hour. A very small segment of the population actually earns that amount. What would that do to workers in Florida? Some suggest raising the minimum wage $1 per year until it reaches $15 per hour. That is a...
Council President & Mayor’s office: Playing politics & calling names. Cut it out! Do your job.
While the election battle is taking center stage here in Florida, our local city leaders have resorted to calling dissenters names and sending out press releases instead of talking things out and being respectful of differences of opinion. This is not how you run a...
The Pursuit of Open Government in Jacksonville. Does the Mayor care?
We are handing out a WINK to City Council Member Anna Lopez Brosche for doggedly pursuing more open government in City Hall. As council president last year, she appointed a task force to look at whether the local government was giving sufficient access to the public....
Lloyd Brown reports: City of Jax elected officials sealed off from the public – doing God knows what. WHY?
Jacksonville residents will be glad to know that there is at least one person in City Hall who is on their side. Council Member Anna Lopez Brosche doggedly is pursuing a measure she authored seeking to pry open the lid of secrecy that has descended on City Hall over...
Andrew Gillum: Media darling of Fake News & Candidate for Governor of Florida. Is he corrupt?
Corruption, scandals, and cronyism. It appears American politicians have lost their way and instead of representing the people they serve, they use their office for personal gains. Patrick Henry wisely stated, “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be,...
Soil & Water on the Ballot: Here’s what you should know
Soil & Water has always been a little foreign to big city voters and yet it is very important. These candidates will help manage these vital resources throughout the county. In political circles, it has always been recognized as a place to get your name on a ballot...
Judges on your Ballot: Informative Information
Everyone who votes always wonders "Where do I find information about the Judges?" Since Judges can not identify with party politics, you can check out who appointed them to their position and learn more about them from their bios and papers they have written. For...
Could a Trojan Horse be behind the Gift Horse? Two City Council members want to know.
Looking a gift horse in the mouth is supposed to be something to avoid, but what if it is a Trojan horse? At a meeting in City Hall Friday, two city council members held a meeting to gain additional information on a measure that already had passed the council –...
Mayor’s Internal Plan to take back Landing: Regulation Strangulation?
As many of our Eye on Jacksonville followers know, we have been watching the Mayor use mob rule tactics to TAKE BACK the Landing vs. negotiating a good deal for the City. He told us he had an internal plan and he wasn't kidding. Read more here: Internal Plan...
CALL THE MAYOR’S OFFICE: (904) 630-1776. He’s “screwing” FL/GA weekend.
Mayor Lenny Curry has done all he can to "put the screws and keep pushing this" regarding The Landing and TAKING IT back from the Owners. These are not our words -- these are the Mayor's very words. Remember this statement from Mayor Curry last year: “I’m prepared...
Part 3: City acting as entrepreneurs with your money. Downtown Investment Authority – No Public Scrutiny!
We elect individuals to represent us, address infrastructure needs, address safety needs, and act financially responsible with our tax dollars. In Parts 1 and 2 of Acting as Entrepreneurs with Your Money city officials wasted millions of your tax dollars in real...
BIG NEWS: You get to decide JEA potential sale on the Nov. 6th ballot!!
You, the rate payers and users of JEA services, have a chance to be heard about the potential sale of JEA. A question has been added to the ballot asking your opinion on this sensitive and important matter. Please make sure you answer the question. For all the...
For crying out loud, Mayor. Please Make Jacksonville Fun Again!
Once again the Mayor's office is shutting down fun in Jacksonville. Now he's attacking college football guests who come to Jacksonville for fun, fellowship, football and no stinking drama! The Florida Georgia game is a week away and the city is stalling on permitting...
The mess at JEA: Who caused it? Who will pay for it?
As the city tries to extricate itself from the Plant Vogtle mess, it keeps getting deeper. Recently, the city’s bond rating has been lowered, prompting an injudicious outburst from the city’s chief administrative officer. “The city’s action calls into question its...
Eye’s Social Media Contributor: Why you need to be on social media.
NOTE: Eye on Jacksonville's Social Media Contributor, Melissa Adair, has helped Eye grow our following in a short few months. The results of her focus on our social media sites has drawn new Eyes to our work. We wanted to let you know why Social Media is so...
$3 Million from United Arab Emirates to Jax. for Irma repairs…very nice but…something stinks.
It seems like a nice, neighborly gesture. The United Arab Emirates donated $3 Million dollars to Jacksonville to help in the recovery efforts from damages caused by Hurricane Irma last year. Why would anyone question such a generous gift? Well, maybe ... It's how...
Amendments on the ballot: Be a Wise Voter
Eye recently published a post about The Amendments and you can find it here: Eye’s Lloyd Brown unravels Amendments on the ballot. Whew! We also found that the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee had done some extensive research on the amendments. James Madison...
Breaking News about the Jags: Could it be they are moving to London?
In April of this year, Eye on Jacksonville posted an article about the possibility of Shad Khan moving the Jaguars to London - something he keeps denying over and over again. The research we did showed that the NFL had a goal to build their international market. Gee...
Duval County School Board Members: Do you care if teachers are having sex with children?
As the wave of teacher-student sex incidences continues across the nation, we await the answer to a question we asked last May about such incidents in Jacksonville’s public schools. Since we asked the question, at least two such incidents have been reported in the...
Part 2: City acting as entrepreneurs with your money. JTA IS A BOONDOGGLE.
Apparently, being an entrepreneur isn’t as risky as long as you are a member of a city council, city commission, or city board. In Part 1 of City Acting as Entrepreneurs with Your Money the venture was real estate. In this part it is public transportation; city...
Eye Contributor & Jax resident, Joshua Warren is a proud member of #WalkAway Movement.
INTRODUCTION On February 19, 2009, CNBC journalist, Rick Santelli exploded on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in an epic rant that was the catalyst for a transformative political movement. Santelli’s rant was unleashed in response to President Obama’s...
Standing for what you believe in – Beth Heath shows us how to do it.
It's always heart-warming to see someone stand and do something when their heart has been touched. Some people kneel in football stadiums - which brings about no change whatsoever. The best way to effect change is through Education and LOVE! Beth Heath, a...
Part 1: City acting as entrepreneurs with your money. Who pays when deals fail?
My opinion, Jacksonville has a gang problem not only in the streets of Duval County, but also behind the many doors within the local government. Why would I make such a claim aimed toward the very people that we give authority to govern us? These are supposed to be...
Ron DeSantis for Governor new Campaign Chair – She’s got what it takes!
______________________________________________________ Ron DeSantis went to the right person. Adding Susie Wiles to his campaign to become governor is the best move he has made to date. The liberal media is flagellating DeSantis for his allegedly “floundering”...
A little something you can do to Get Out The Vote – from your home!
This suggested letter was sent to us by a Eye on Jacksonville follower. He did not want to be identified BUT we felt it was a great ACTION ITEM that anyone could do. If you would like to send the same letter OR walk your neighborhood and leave it on the front door,...
Be afraid. Be very afraid of Gillum for Governor. He’s a dangerous man.
When Andrew Gillum won the Democratic primary for the Governor's house in Tallahassee, the media and the people were scratching their heads. How could that be? Who in the world is Andrew Gillum? Where did he come from? How did he win with very little name...
What will happen to the Times Union artifacts. Lloyd Brown snoops it out.
When I was a teen-aged copy boy for the Jacksonville Journal, I often was called upon to go to the morgue – a large room filled with file cabinets containing clippings of all stories published in the Journal. I liked my job and was quite distressed when, while on a...
Eye’s Lloyd Brown unravels Amendments on the ballot. Whew!
Recently, the Daily Record quoted Hank Coxe, one of Jacksonville’s most well-known lawyers and a member of the Constitutional Revision Commission, as saying the commission’s role in the amendment process was flawed. It seems that politics interfere, in his opinion. I...
Conflict of Interest and Poor Business Decision in the Mayor’s Office
The headline read, "Mayor's chief of staff Brian Hughes to serve as interim DIA CEO." Conflict of interest -- first thing I thought. And I was not alone with that thought either. Twitter went crazy and even one of the members of the DIA questioned if it was a good...
