Looking back from 2024 to Mayor Donna Deegan’s first six months in office: How did she do?
It was a mixed bag, from Eye on Jacksonville’s standpoint.
One plus is that the Democrat is more open to the press than her Republican predecessor. Her press people respond to Eye on Jacksonville, unlike Lenny Curry. who banned us for insufficient praise of his often-confused administration.
What Curry didn’t know was that we had sources in City Hall who kept us, and probably other media, informed about matters of interest to the public.
Deegan also seems open to hearing from conservative citizens of Jacksonville. How much she pays attention to them is another matter. She also supports sensible development.
But, like Curry, she is on a mission to revise history by taking down public monuments and statues. How that makes the lives of residents better is difficult to understand but she sees it as a win.
She also is out to solve every social issue, as if that were the job of politicians.
She opposes liberal police review boards but apparently only because they can’t do enough damage to law and order.
The amount of time she wastes on diversity, inclusion and equity is considerable. Again, not her job.
She seems firmly committed to spending as much money as possible, which is a Democrat thing because – heck – it’s not THEIR money and it gets votes from the people who don’t get squeezed.
Curry left her plenty of cash and she intends to use it all. She plans to continue Curry’s policy of providing free sewer hookups for every person with a septic tank and is continuing the fantasy that this was a “promise” made before consolidation.
However, the spending on climate change, free housing, free health care and all the rest on the democratic socialist agenda may hit a snag. Negotiations currently are under way with the Jacksonville Jaguars over a new stadium could result in a deal to spend north of $800 million. Where that would come from after the recent spending spree is anybody’s guess.
Nevertheless, the City Council has given her $24 million to spend on her agenda, although the individual expenses must have express approval of council.
In short, her agenda, and record to date, mirrors the Democrat Party’s national agenda of tax and spend, without regard for the consequences.
We would give her a grade of C-, while holding out hope for improvement.
But Eye would like to hear the readers’ view. How’s she doing? Leave your comments please.
