Council could move $10M away from JEDC

[Springfieldian]

From the Jacksonville Business Journal:

The City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday to move $10 million in economic development funds from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to the newly created Housing and Neighborhoods Department.

JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton told JEDC members about the potential move at the commission's meeting Thursday morning. The money is in the JEDC's Northwest Economic Development Fund, which received about $25 million in funding from the Better Jacksonville Plan.

The rest of the Story (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/daily30.html?f=et64&hbx=e_du)

[Gone North]

The Northwest Quadrant Economic Development Trust Fund was created at the old City Department of Housing and Urban Development. The intent was to help create jobs in the Northwest Quadrant, then identified as anything North of I-10 and West of I-95, by providing funds for the off site public infrastructure needed to being business and jobs to the northwest side. That is, to bring the water pipes, roads, utilities, etc to the site, not ON the site, but just to it. It was patterned after the state Roads Trust fund designed for the same reasons.

When HUD was dissolved, the fund went with Community Development to the Planning Department and later, to the JEDC. The boundaries were also expanded.

The thinking was that it was indeed an economic development tool, not to be used for community improvements such as sports fields, etc but strictly to assist businesses to generate new jobs.

Now they wish to put it back at the city Department of Neighborhoods and Housing. I am assuming also then that they will broaden the mandate to allow the funds to be spent on site for such things as gyms, etc. I guess jobs and t he production of jobs is no longer the first priority. Tis pity.

[RADIO TALK SHOW HOST]

I guess the Mayor doesn't feel a bit threatened by Jackie Brown (she will be furious) OR Peyton wants Blacks that don't like him to vote for Jackie. Whites (WHO DON'T LIKE PEYTON) to vote for Suzanne or Mike W. .Anyway I look at it though running out of money is really bad for Peyton, the less money, the less, political influence matters. He is stuck either raising taxes and losing the election or having no money to brib people into voting for him The only way he can win is for the media to convince us no can beat him (JUST HOW MUCH CAN THOSE GATE BILLBOARDS FEATURING THE t.u BE WORTH ANYWAY)
The biggest step an opponent can take now is to tell the media if they keep trying to convince us Peyton is unbeatable NO JEA MONEY FOR THEM ONCE Peyton is out of office.

[pearlstone]

It looks like the mayors office would rather get into using newspeak than actually solving the problems of the city

Was this an intercepted email from Barton to someone? If so, to whom was it directed?

I visited the earlier link a few posts before and didn't see it's reference. Just curious...