On November 16, 2007, the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee convened to review the new options under consideration by the City of Jacksonville and approved 4-1 to pursue the Administration's recommended option to build one 850,000-square-foot facility several blocks to the northwest of the current location. The Jacksonville City Council approved a $350 million county courthouse complex in April, 2008 that was supported by Mayor Peyton and Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran. The contractor has ‘agreed’ to guarantee the price and the complex could be finished by the time Peyton leaves office June 30, 2011. The new courthouse complex is planned to take up four prime location city blocks instead of the single city block. The new courthouse complex is nothing more than a shrine to the unbridled growth of local government. The size of the City of Jacksonville government will have to be doubled just to fill the building for all the vacancy it will have.

If the City of Jacksonville was so devastated by the tax cut effects of the voter approved Property Tax Amendment, why is the City of Jacksonville government willing to break its neck to supply entitlements and funding to the 1000+ non-for-profit organizations to show compassion and continue to move forward with a county courthouse complex which has doubled in cost in the past eight years? Mayor John Peyton has just revealed the details on how he proposes funding a $972.3 million spending plan for 2008-2009. The City of Jacksonville spending has actually increased from last year by 1.8 percent.  The parasitic nanny state local government has completely ignored the wishes of the taxpayer. It is also very shameful that the City of Jacksonville would publically commit necessary public safety entities i.e. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office & Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department to the immediate tax cut effects. It is my belief that Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is allowing the crime to escalate at the expense of the taxpayer’s safety so the taxpayer will scream and beg to pay more in local taxes. First priority should be given to the taxpayer, and then any remaining tax funds should be divided up among the non-necessary government functions. Even at a 1.8% growth, departments within the City of Jacksonville government are squealing like stuffed pigs brought to the slaughter.

Mayor Details Nearly $1 Billion Budget

http://www.news4jax.com/news/16868535/detail.html

The Mayor John Payton’s new anti-crime task force Jacksonville Journey is yet another new government initiative costing Jacksonville’s taxpayer additional 30 million dollars. Expansion of child care services to dead beat inner city parents and enabling morally challenged teenagers with free activities, is this really going to stop crime? The children are taken care on the tax-payer’s nickel allowing the dead-beat parents more time to commit even more crimes. All the City of Jacksonville government has done is further enable irresponsibility. How many non-for-profit programs were expanded which are managed by of your cronies from First Baptist Church Mayor John Payton?

If the City of Jacksonville government is so concerned about the sky rocketing cost of their beloved courthouse complex why don’t they consider locating the new courthouse in the middle of the worst crime ridden economic depressed community in Jacksonville. The land cost is much cheaper. This allows the City of Jacksonville to collect precious property tax revenue on premium priced land downtown. Most importantly this will make the City of Jacksonville government and Sheriff (Glorified Meter Maid) John Rutherford realize what an abject failure they have made local law enforcement because they have to work in it. If Mayor John Payton is so concerned about being ‘Green’ his law enforcement could save on CO2 from the patrol cars since the police do not have to drive as far to fight crime. Just walk across the street from the courthouse and perhaps raid a crack house for publicity to show how they are fighting crime.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has emboldened criminal activity over the years since the department’s main emphasis has been revenue generating moving violations. It is not bad enough that the law abiding citizens should be afraid of the bad elements in this community but also the Law Enforcement picking off the law abiding citizen(s) on slight moving violations for revenue generating purposes.

Give the tax paying law-abiding citizen a break from this tyrannical tax burden and also actually fight crime. Locate the new courthouse complex on Moncrief Road or in a vicinity between Arlington Expressway and Atlantic Blvd. The tax paying law abiding citizen will allow so much punishment between they decide to migrate to surrounding counties. At the rate the City of Jacksonville government is growing, Jacksonville could be another Detroit in 10 years. All that will be left will be the government-enabled citizens.

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