I live in the San Marco area of Jacksonville. It’s a nice neighborhood and one of my favorite things to do is take a walk on the Riverwalk located across from my condo. I’m becoming too fearful to do that anymore.
This past week, we have seen crime flowing rapidly through our neighborhood. It’s sad and it’s scary. Especially because our Mayor and the JSO have stated that crime is down – even though perception says it isn’t.
Well perception is what matters and it appears — in at least my neighborhood alone – crime is up.
Just a few days ago, a friend of a friend was eating dinner at Bistro Aix. I love that restaurant and it is not far from my condo. I eat there a lot. The friend was attending a birthday party and he left for a few minutes for the men’s room. When he came out of the stall, he was viciously attacked by a mugger. Someone had come inside the restaurant and waited for his prey in the men’s room. Scary.
And then last week, a man was shot riding a bicycle nearby. He was killed.
And…an armed robbery occurred at 11:00 in the morning at a neighborhood bank.
There isn’t a neighborhood in Jacksonville that is safe from crime. It’s all around us.
If you want to know what your neighborhood looks like regarding crime, check out this website. Put your neighborhood in and it will give you up to date statistics: https://spotcrime.com/fl/jacksonville
Or you can also use: http://www.jaxsheriff.org/Resources/crime-mapping.aspx
Jacksonville is growing and crime is growing with her. Your job is to be aware of your surroundings; don’t think you are safe in your neighborhood; and report anything that seems suspicious to local authorities.
Also consider starting a Neighborhood Watch program if your neighborhood doesn’t have one. You can do that by contacting the Sheriff’s office here: http://www.coj.net/neighborhoodorganizations
James Q. Wilson once said, “Crime is the price society pays for abandoning character.”
Have we abandoned our character, Jacksonville?
She craved anything leadership related and enjoyed being around the world of entrepreneurial CEOs. She watched as they made decisions; pondered how they would make payroll when cash flow was tight; and appreciated how they created career opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people. Because of her experiences, she has emerged as a key resource for the media and others who want to understand important insights about executives, management teams and board dynamics.
In 2008, Billie became discouraged as she watched some of her clients struggle with the political economic impacts on their businesses. The same CEOs who mortgaged their home and charged up their credit cards to make ends meet to build a business and keep others working, now watched as their government bailed out the big banks who had mismanaged their resources. She cringed as most of her clients laid off employees for the first time and she vowed she would help them… somehow…someway.
That somehow…someway showed up in the Tea Party Movement in America. She formed one of the largest tea party group’s in America (more than 9,000 members strong) and helped bring attention to America’s debt problem, out of control spending, over taxation and regulation strangulation on companies.
With her background in working with leaders and her influence in the political and leadership world, Billie has continued her dream to help CEOs navigate these troubling waters that permeate the world of capitalism in America.
She has been an active participant in the media as a guest on CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, Bott Family Network Radio and co-hosts a political/financial radio show in the Northeast Florida market entitled, Smart Money.
She was the first speaker at the House of Representatives Tea Party Caucus inaugural event and was invited by Heritage Foundation to speak at their prestigious annual Heritage Resource Bank, and on their National Security Panel live broadcasts.
She spoke at the Congressional Republican House Retreat in Pennsylvania in 2012. She was also the co-host and co-producer of the CNN Tea Party Express Debate in the 2012 Presidential Election.
She is a firm believer that America needs more entrepreneurs and more opportunities for people to use their God-given talents and passions to better themselves, their communities and America.
Her favorite quote has become her mission to help CEOs succeed:
“Vision without execution is hallucination.” – Thomas Edison
