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#51

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 07, 2026, 11:00:52 PM

I agree that the failures were broad and extensive, and I don't hold Deegan singularly responsible. But none of the other stakeholders are being defended here the way Deegan is, which is what I'm responding to. You yourself dismissed the AG investigation out of hand as being a fishing expedition to castigate Deegan -- not Ford, not the JTA board, not council. I'd love to see every complicit stakeholder held accountable from JTA to FDOT, but it's nonsense to quash or dismiss an investigation because it's only investigating *some* responsible stakeholders.

I'm far from the only person on this forum to express concern over the past few years about the effect Deegan's silence, and then endorsement, of NAVI could have on her legacy and reelection prospects. What IS unique about Deegan is that it seems to be an uncharacteristic blind spot in an otherwise strong and bipartisan record. I expect to be disappointed by council at this point.

Front and center, the JTA Board is where the buck should really stop here.  It is the JTA Board's singular and fiduciary responsibility to oversight JTA management, its financials and its operations.  That they totally abrogated their responsibilities should lead the governor and mayor to do a clean sweep of the board, just as what mostly happened at JEA following its scandal.  Until then, the JTA board will have near zero credibility with the public.

Every other party is ancillary/secondary to the JTA Board.  I am not giving a free pass to anyone but if the JTA Board was rubber stamping/snookered by JTA management, it is hard to expect others more remote from the JTA Board's role to not also fall into the same rut.  It is not unreasonable, Jaxson posters aside, for non-JTA persons to "trust" in the supposed professionalism of JTA's alleged transit experts and its board overseers.

Deegan, the City Council, State legislators... If JTA, FDOT, the Feds, JTA's Board, JTA's auditors, JTA management and employees did not raise questions publicly, with all the other moving parts in government competing for attention, it is not surprising that JTA was getting a free pass, especially having a politically savvy CEO.

Now, I must say, as a reader of the Jaxson and lifelong resident of Jacksonville having witnessed the Skyway and other City boondoggles, if I was on the public front lines, I would have been screaming from the roof tops that things did not look kosher in the JTA shop.  But, most people in Jax today don't have my experiences that lead to much of my cynicism about Jacksonville "dream" projects.  Just as few project renderings come to life here, so do few Jacksonville "go for the gold" projects play out anywhere close to the optimistic presentations by their promoters.

[Incoming DART CEO under criminal investigation over spending at previous job]

#52

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 07, 2026, 10:40:11 PM

How are they not flipping their sh!t in Dallas?

Dallas media waking up to Ford's Jax legacy tonight:

Incoming DART CEO under criminal investigation over spending at previous job

DALLAS - Incoming Dallas Area Rapid Transit CEO Nathaniel Ford is in hot water as he leaves his former role in Jacksonville, Florida.

State officials there launched a criminal investigation into spending habits while he served as the head of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

JTA faces shortfall amid spending probe
What we know:
The Florida Attorney General's Office has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into JTA, which is facing a $39 million budget shortfall.

The investigation focuses on spending that occurred under Ford's leadership, including expenses for massages, murals, hotel stays, and tuition reimbursements.

The AG's office is also reviewing JTA's tuition reimbursement policy to determine why highly paid executives received public funds for education, a practice which could violate IRS codes.

Florida's AG has requested all text messages and emails between Ford, his wife, and consultant Kenston Griffin sent between October 2023 and March 2025. Subpoenas issued in the probe name Ford, as well as Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.

By the numbers:
According to records uncovered by former JTA board member Megan Hayward, JTA executive spending included:

$4,264.51 for a hotel in London for the CEO
$1,606.50 for a hotel in Madrid for the CEO
$9,000 for a hotel in Valencia for two executives
$171,000 in total for hotel stays over approximately 18 months
FOX 4 also previously reported on investigations into Ford's travel expenses in Jacksonville that included a nearly $10,000 trip to Spain.

Shortfall impact on transit riders
What we know:
JTA has been forced to take drastic measures to address its $39 million deficit. The authority recently eliminated 194 positions and slashed bus routes to make it through the fiscal year.

What they're saying:
Hayward, who owns the temporary staffing software company TempGuru, said she was appointed to the JTA board by the mayor and then removed after she started asking difficult questions about how money was being spent.

"My speculation would be that the questions I was asking were very inconvenient for the people at the authority and for the mayor," she said. "The first red flag I saw was regarding ridership numbers not adding up."

She expressed concern over the impact the cuts will have on daily commuters and small businesses.

"The people at the bottom of this transportation totem pole are paying for all of the money that was spent somewhere by the executive team, by the authority as a whole. I couldn't tell you exactly where $39 million went, but I can tell you that the people paying the price for it are the people who need the most help," Hayward said.

Ford's move to North Texas
The other side:
Ford is still preparing to step into his new position at DART at the end of this month.

FOX 4 reached out to him for a response to the Florida Attorney General's investigation, but he has not yet returned those calls.

DART's board chair also didn't respond to questions about whether the board will reconsider its hiring decision.

What's next:
JTA has until Oct. 20 to produce the records related to the investigation, according to the subpoena.

Ford is expected to start at DART one week later.

https://www.fox4news.com/news/incoming-dart-ceo-under-criminal-investigation-over-spending-previous-job

This article is behind a paywall, but the headline was just posted on the Dallas News:

Incoming DART CEO Nathaniel Ford named in Florida subpoena over Jacksonville transit spending

#53

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxoNOLE - October 07, 2026, 10:39:11 PM

If the training is already required, it means the new order is performative CYA, not substantive change.

I believe the idea is to add financial training, which would be new.

The defense of NAVI by Deegan as recently as Decemeber 2025, long after concerns had been raised for years and real results were coming in, is absolutely indefensible. Just because many other stakeholders fell for the same BS doesn't make it otherwise. Giving her a pass because we like her reinforces the same governance weaknesses that have held Jacksonville back since consolidation.

In other words, virtually everyone in leadership over the years held the same (misguided) view on the program, but you're singling out one person for holding that view.

That's odd.

She deserves no less and no more criticism and accountability than anyone else in various leadership roles that could have raised a red flag over the years. Let's start by naming all the different JTA city council liaisons since 2021...or the mayor when this idea was created and blessed...... or, or, or.

Bottom line is Ford and his senior staff are the most to blame, then the past boards, then go down the list.

I agree that the failures were broad and extensive, and I don't hold Deegan singularly responsible. But none of the other stakeholders are being defended here the way Deegan is, which is what I'm responding to. You yourself dismissed the AG investigation out of hand as being a fishing expedition to castigate Deegan -- not Ford, not the JTA board, not council. I'd love to see every complicit stakeholder held accountable from JTA to FDOT, but it's nonsense to quash or dismiss an investigation because it's only investigating *some* responsible stakeholders.

I'm far from the only person on this forum to express concern over the past few years about the effect Deegan's silence, and then endorsement, of NAVI could have on her legacy and reelection prospects. What IS unique about Deegan is that it seems to be an uncharacteristic blind spot in an otherwise strong and bipartisan record. I expect to be disappointed by council at this point.

#54

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxoNOLE - October 07, 2026, 10:12:38 PM

If the training is already required, it means the new order is performative CYA, not substantive change.

I believe the idea is to add financial training, which would be new.

That's the way I understand the new XO. The "ethics training" that all elected and appointed officials - including citizen advisory gruops like the TPO Citizens Advisory Committee and the CPACs - is mostly about the Sunshine Law. Having been on a couple-ish of these, there is no financial training, so this will be a necessary addition.

Coming from private industry where most firms learned this lesson in the Enron era, this is disturbing--but better late than never to see it getting fixed.

#55

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 07, 2026, 10:05:39 PM

Start the PR campaign now! Lol... been calling this for years now. She's cooked if this comes out fully. How do you turn a blind eye to this?

well JTA is an independent authority

That the mayor has exercised her board appointment power on to remove a NAVI skeptic. She has also publicly supported NAVI. She might not have the power to kill NAVI single-handedly, but she hasn't exercised good judgment within her area of influence either.

Deegan was on First Coast Connect today and addressed this issue head-on.  She claimed that she met with the dismissed board member, walked through each and every one of her concerns and had every one of them investigated by staff, ethics attorneys, etc. and all were cleared out satisfactorily with appropriate responses. 

She also claimed that the dismissed board member testified to the City Council and they also investigated her claims and came to a similar conclusion.

Now, if JTA was misleading those who asked, that's on JTA.  Maybe City Hall was too trusting of JTA management to not press harder but, as I said before, it looks like Ford successfully convinced most everyone to think he was on top of the transit world.

Deegan added, regardless, that none of the concerns raised related to the impending budget deficit.

Finally, she said the replacement was to install her own appointee that she said had "transportation experience" on the JTA board, thinking that the timing was right.  If I heard right, it appears that one of the three Mayoral appointees may also be a holdover from Curry's time.

#56

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by Charles Hunter - October 07, 2026, 09:57:16 PM

If the training is already required, it means the new order is performative CYA, not substantive change.

I believe the idea is to add financial training, which would be new.

That's the way I understand the new XO. The "ethics training" that all elected and appointed officials - including citizen advisory gruops like the TPO Citizens Advisory Committee and the CPACs - is mostly about the Sunshine Law. Having been on a couple-ish of these, there is no financial training, so this will be a necessary addition.

#57

Science and Technology / Re: Wordle?

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 07, 2026, 09:42:32 PM

Wordle 1,936 4/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Connections
Puzzle #1214 - Purple for first color!
🟪🟦🟪🟪
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩

Strands #948
"Color for the cure" - Got the idea but tough figuring out where it was going until near the end.
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵

Pips #416 Easy 🟢
0:39
Pips #416 Medium 🟡 Cookie! Faster than Easy for me today.
0:32 🍪
Pips #416 Hard 🔴
1:46
A good Pips day!

🙂 Daily Quordle 1717 = 3 way bust, a first! Wasted 4 guesses on one word not realizing I had already identified the last letter for it.
🟥🟥
🟥5️⃣
m-w.com/games/quordle/

#58

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by blizz01 - October 07, 2026, 09:18:39 PM

How are they not flipping their sh!t in Dallas?

#59

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by fsu813 - October 07, 2026, 08:43:11 PM

If the training is already required, it means the new order is performative CYA, not substantive change.

I believe the idea is to add financial training, which would be new.

The defense of NAVI by Deegan as recently as Decemeber 2025, long after concerns had been raised for years and real results were coming in, is absolutely indefensible. Just because many other stakeholders fell for the same BS doesn't make it otherwise. Giving her a pass because we like her reinforces the same governance weaknesses that have held Jacksonville back since consolidation.

In other words, virtually everyone in leadership over the years held the same (misguided) view on the program, but you're singling out one person for holding that view.

That's odd.

She deserves no less and no more criticism and accountability than anyone else in various leadership roles that could have raised a red flag over the years. Let's start by naming all the different JTA city council liaisons since 2021...or the mayor when this idea was created and blessed...... or, or, or.

Bottom line is Ford and his senior staff are the most to blame, then the past boards, then go down the list.

#60

Transportation, Mass Transit & Infrastructure / Re: Let’s Get Back to the Basi...

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 07, 2026, 07:38:19 PM

But one organization that deserves its fair share of the blame for this, and many other failed downtown projects, is DVI. I've said it many times, but the State of Downtown Report is one of the most damaging, disingenuous documents produced in Jacksonville.

U2C, and more specifically the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, was sold up the river to the Feds as a connector based on an imaginary $3 billion pipeline of Shipyards, Lot J, Convention Center, Ford on Bay, Berkman 2, and Laura Street Trio projects, zero of which have come out of the ground nearly a decade later. Jake Gordon famously said that when including projects, "the tie goes to the runner." In this case, that generous positioning helped propagandize this insane albatross that we're now paying for with every dollar of gas we buy.

I would suggest that DVI has done more to hold back Downtown than move it forward.  Why?  It appears, first and foremost, to be a mouthpiece paid to promote Downtown, regardless of what is truly happening, not actually "visioning" Downtown as its name would suggest.  As such, it has little credibility with anyone that matters due to overpromising and underdelivering while quality Downtown "visioning" never actually gets addressed.

DVI is also so narrowly focused on Downtown that it fails to collaborate/incorporate/appreciate that Downtown is part of the greater urban area and that a rising tide raises all boats.  I have never seen DVI reach out to surrounding neighborhoods to create partnerships that might feed patrons into Downtown.  DVI treats Downtown as an "island" in the urban stream as if it was self sufficient, not interdependent.

DVI has little to no clout with retaining or attracting companies and, historically, there have been few residents to "organize" within Downtown's borders. I am assuming Visit Jacksonville takes care of tourism. So, who exactly, do they impact/assist/etc.?

Not saying DVI has done zero but events and ambassadors are temporal in nature, not foundational improvements, so not what Downtown really needs to move the needle.  As such, I don't see any lasting legacy from its existence. 

I would rather see a JUVI, "Jacksonville Urban Visioning, Inc." that is charged with organizing a real visioning process that includes master planning and a holistic view that exploits the synergies that could be built by incorporating and interconnecting with the entire urban environment.