Month: December 2021

  • Local man volunteers to raze Epstein’s Orgy Island

    Local man volunteers to raze Epstein’s Orgy Island

    One local businessman with a demolition business has offered to knock down the palatial estate of Jeffrey Epstein – at his own cost. John Arwood, owner of Arwood Waste & Demolition in Jacksonville, does demolition work nationwide and says he could clear the buildings on the island in a couple of days. The island –…

  • Another poll confirms: people don’t like taxes

    Another poll confirms: people don’t like taxes

    According to a new poll, property tax reform ranks high among the concerns of Florida residents, along with school choice and health care costs. This is a bit puzzling. The median property tax in Florida is $1,773.00 per year for a home worth the median value of $182,400. Florida counties collect an average of 0.97%…

  • Steaming ahead with plans for a naval center in downtown Jacksonville

    Steaming ahead with plans for a naval center in downtown Jacksonville

    Plans to dock a Navy vessel in downtown Jacksonville are producing solid results, at last. The USS Orleck, a Navy destroyer built in 1945, will be docked on the Northbank near the site of the old courthouse, now demolished. It was approved by the City Council last month. Local lawyer and retired Navy captain Dan…

  • Ashes in your stockings, Jacksonville taxpayers

    Ashes in your stockings, Jacksonville taxpayers

    Scrooges in City Hall had a chance to give the people of Jacksonville a nice Christmas gift Tuesday, but instead they said, “Bah, humbug.” Only five members of City Council voted to repeal the recent local gas tax hike. Those heroes are Rory Diamond, LeAnna Cumber, Al Ferraro, Randy DeFoor and Danny Becton. The hefty,…

  • City’s need for an inspector general should be re-examined

    City’s need for an inspector general should be re-examined

    As the city inspector general’s office devolves into a flurry of lawsuits, claims and counter-claims, someone should be asking: why do we have an inspector general anyway? The new office was not a result of consolidation and had not been recommended by any other body that has studied local government. It simply appeared about seven…

  • Unity proposal seeks to end senseless squabbling about history

    Unity proposal seeks to end senseless squabbling about history

    Local conservatives want to be inclusive, rather than dividing people. The issue is statues and monuments reflecting the city’s history. Those on the Far Left seek to rewrite history by removing any trace of the Confederacy. Conservatives want to show the nation’s complete history in regard to the Civil War, both North and South. Unity…

  • Heavy effort by local GOP brought out conservative voters

    Heavy effort by local GOP brought out conservative voters

    In the last hour of voting Tuesday night, Dean Black got word from a member of his team that the substantial Democrat lead in voting had been cut – to 32 votes. Black was exultant. This was a big win. For decades, Democrat voters have outnumbered Republicans in Florida. Democrats still outnumber Republicans in registered…

  • Local government access is available to “some”

    Local government access is available to “some”

    Our story on media access to local government brought an interesting response from a long-time reporter for a local TV station. Jim Piggott of News4Jax said, “I’ve been covering City Hall for 35 years and, yes, I remember when things were much more open.” Yet, he says he still goes to City Hall every morning…