Paris, Anyone?

Ah, the perks of being the incoming Council President.  Before he is even sworn in to office, Richard Clark (along with his wife, Deatra) will be whisked off to Paris, France for the Paris Air Show courtesy of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA).  It also appears that other officials, including the Mayor,  JAA interim Executive Director  Ernestine Moody Robinson,  JAA employees Richard Rossi and Rosa Beckett, and JAA Board members Cyrus Jolivette and Ron Weaver, will also be traveling to Paris.

According to a recent news article, it’s costing the State of Washington, home to the largest concentration of aerospace workers in the world, $7,100 to send one person to Paris for the air show.  (And that’s the only person the state is sending.)  I guess John Clark’s exit hasn’t impacted JAA’s propensity for taking expensive, international trips.  I also guess that it’s just not as sexy to attend the US Air, Trade, and Technology Expo (USATT), the American equivalent of the Paris Air Show, that will be held in Dayton, Ohio in July.  Sure, the USATT doesn’t have the history that the Paris Air Show has; but, it also doesn’t have the high costs and would still provide good opportunities to network with the aviation industry.

Now that Councilman Clark has joined the computer age by making his E-mails public, perhaps we can persuade him to also twitter the air show for us.  I just hope they don’t decide to take $10,000 worth of limo rides while they’re attending the Paris Air Show like some other Jacksonville folks did awhile back.

Filed under: Jacksonville, Jacksonville City Council, Mayor of Jacksonville, Cyrus Jolivette, Ernestine Moody Robinson, JAA, Jacksonville Airport Authority, Mayor John Peyton, Paris Air Show, Richard Clark, Ron Weaver, US Air Trade and Technology Expo

JAA Board retreat at posh Amelia Island – again

This week’s Folio examines the JAA Board retreat held this week at posh Amelia Island.  Folio Weekly’s article  expresses concerns over public accessibility to a meeting subject to the Sunshine Law that was being held out of the county and at a gated resort.  JAA’s Michael Stewart response?  “I’m sorry you think we would do business like that.”

But this isn’t the first time that the JAA Board has held a retreat there.   Let’s flash back to 2002.

According to a March 29, 2002 Times Union article,

The Jacksonville Airport Authority spent nearly $13,000 on a two-day retreat for staff and board members on Amelia Island in January. But the head of the authority said he plans to conduct such retreats every six months, and board members said the expense was justified.  Costs for the Jan. 18-19 retreat at the Amelia Island Plantation included $35.95 for 14 soft drinks and a $1,444.50 dinner bill for 25 people.

The largest portion of the 2002 retreat cost was a $5,400 bill from professional meeting facilitator Bruce Barcelo of Barcelo & Co. Barcelo moderated the retreat, but the invoice listed no itemized hours.  

(As an aside, you might recognize Bruce Barcelo’s name from another Jacksonville Politics post.  Just who is paying Bruce to attend the Mayor’s Trail Ridge Landfill meetings anyway?)

So getting back to Amelia Island, I’m guessing that Amelia Island prices probably haven’t gone down over the past 6 years. The 2002 news article makes me wonder exactly how much the two day retreat at Amelia Island this week cost taxpayers.  According to Michael Stewart’s way of thinking, I should be sorry for thinking that JAA would do business like that, too. But I’m not.

Filed under: Jacksonville, Jacksonville City Council, Uncategorized, Amelia Island, Bruce Barcelo, JAA, Jacksonville Airport Authority, Michael Stewart, Trail Ridge Landfill, Waste Management

LOL! Russia visits Jax to learn about “transparency”

A priceless headline, with a bit of irony to it. Yes, according to the Daily Record, a delegation from Russia is visiting Jacksonville to learn how to operate a transparent government.

Perhaps we can share with a country under the control of a dictator how a “transparent” government allows the executive of our little airport to pull in a higher salary than his peers in Tampa, Miami, Orlando or Atlanta. Perhaps we can explain how to reward unilateral contracts to your closest friends. Perhaps we could explain how a Vice Chairman (and former Chairman) of the Port Authority can personally benefit from Port business he voted on. We can cap it all off by simply pointing to today’s headline in The Florida Times-Union—how to spend over $60 million on a courthouse with absolutely nothing to show for it.

How about a leader that complains about media questions, referring to the Jacksonville media as “the worst?”

Yup, even Putin’s Russia could probably pick up a few tips from Jacksonville, don’t you think?

Filed under: Uncategorized, Jacksonville Airport Authority, Jacksonville Port Authority, John Clark, Putin, Russia, Scott Teagle, Tony Nelson, Vladimir Putin

JAA and John Clark in new controversy

Jacksonville International [No we don't have any international flights] Airport’s police are appealing to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to absorb their department, thereby removing them from under the dictatorial powers of high-flying John Clark, whose extravagant expenses and mind-boggling pay were previously discussed here. According to the Times-Union, a new bill is being introduced today that would require Sheriff John Rutherford and John Clark to discuss the merger. More can be learned here.

Filed under: Jacksonville, Jacksonville City Council, Jacksonville Airport Authority, Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, John Clark, John Rutherford, Short Man's Syndrome

More “local companies first”

Councilman Daniel Davis’ “local companies first” preference legislation is riding a rocky road, with the Chamber of Commerce objecting to it and requesting that a task force be appointed.  Interestingly enough, Councilman Art Graham thinks it’s such a great idea that he is sponsoring a resolution to encourage Jacksonville’s independent agencies to also adopt a “local companies first” policy. Councilman Graham’s bill, 2009-39, will be introduced at City Council this Tuesday night.

Filed under: Jacksonville, Jacksonville City Council, Mayor of Jacksonville, City of Jacksonville, Councilman Art Graham, Councilman Daniel Davis, JAA, Jacksonville Airport Authority, Jacksonville City Council, Jacksonville Port Authority, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, JEA, JPA, JTA