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#71

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

Last post by jaxlongtimer - October 08, 2026, 05:47:28 PM

Deegan falling for NAVI reminds me of John Peyton getting snookered by the Chief Judge over the courthouse project.  It seems that, especially, first term mayors try to tread carefully regarding existing major projects that fall into their laps and to avoid conflicts with colleagues leading government entities.  They want/need to pick and choose their battles in an attempt to build political capital.  If Deegan thought Ford had support from the Council, Chamber and other community leaders, even if having doubts about NAVI, she may have chosen to play along to attain wins on other issues she cared more about or felt were more her responsibility to deliver on.  Given the heck she gets from the partisans on the City Council, this strategy may have been even more important. 

To add, none of this excuses any mayor from making a bad decision but, given they make thousands of decisions during their terms in office, a few are likely to not hold water over time.

Adjusted for inflation, the courthouse fiasco was at least as big of a mess in dollar terms as NAVI.  Yet, Peyton was reelected for a second term and most people in Jacksonville today likely have no memory or knowledge of the messiness of it all back in the day.

Politicians regularly benefit from the voting public not paying attention, not understanding, being confused, not well informed, having memory issues, being forgiving, not caring, etc. all the time.  I expect Deegan will benefit as well on this issue.

Agree or not, it also helps when one can point fingers at others or muddy the waters around an issue.  I think we have that here.

For now, I think we need to focus on JTA, its management and board.  As I noted before, that's where the real accountability begins.

#72

Politics / Re: Jacksonville Elections 202...

Last post by Jax_Developer - October 08, 2026, 05:46:06 PM

You'll have to ask her and the city council about it. I've always been against both NAVI and view Holon as an extension of that project. I've publicly shared that opinion for years. However, the majority of our political leaders that approved the incentives package have a different opinion.

With $0 upfront dollars, City Council rubber-stamped it without scrutiny, off the idea that Holon will come to town with a massive guaranteed investment from the City, because of support from key parties. It's not much different than the DDRB approving a project with a REV Grant.

#73

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

Last post by Jax_Developer - October 08, 2026, 05:43:15 PM

^ If I'm a new Mayor entering office with a huge campaign push on getting rid of the "good ole boy network" & there is a glaring project that has significant ties to a "good ole boy network," I would be speaking publicly.

What's the connection? Genuinely curious.

I've always viewed NAVI as less a traditional Jacksonville old-boy get rich scheme, and more a harebrained personal prestige project hatched and pushed forward almost unilaterally by Nat Ford (a Jacksonville transplant) to pad his resume. To me, it's less a classic Jacksonville story of cronyism and conspiracy, and more a story of hubris, refusal to backtrack when the writing on the wall became clear, and possible falsification of evidence to avoid looking like a moron before fleeing the city.

Look at the locally appointed board members & where their interests lie. Then look at JU.

#74

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

Last post by Ken_FSU - October 08, 2026, 05:32:12 PM

^ If I'm a new Mayor entering office with a huge campaign push on getting rid of the "good ole boy network" & there is a glaring project that has significant ties to a "good ole boy network," I would be speaking publicly.

What's the connection? Genuinely curious.

I've always viewed NAVI as less a traditional Jacksonville old-boy get rich scheme, and more a harebrained personal prestige project hatched and pushed forward almost unilaterally by Nat Ford (a Jacksonville transplant) to pad his resume. To me, it's less a classic Jacksonville story of cronyism and conspiracy, and more a story of hubris, refusal to backtrack when the writing on the wall became clear, and possible falsification of evidence to avoid looking like a moron before fleeing the city.

#75

Politics / Re: Jacksonville Elections 202...

Last post by thelakelander - October 08, 2026, 04:54:55 PM

You'll have to ask her and the city council about it. I've always been against both NAVI and view Holon as an extension of that project. I've publicly shared that opinion for years. However, the majority of our political leaders that approved the incentives package have a different opinion.

#76

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

Last post by Jax_Developer - October 08, 2026, 04:33:05 PM

^ If I'm a new Mayor entering office with a huge campaign push on getting rid of the "good ole boy network" & there is a glaring project that has significant ties to a "good ole boy network," I would be speaking publicly, looking at my board appointments, and seeing what I can do to change course.

I would not be:

1). publicly endorsing the project in a very aggressive manner (you almost never saw Curry with JTA)
2). replacing my own board appointment while two legacy appointments (with ties) continue to sit on the board & let the agency implode
3). still endorsing the project, or at the very least, aspects of the project
4). calling the guy who got the agency into this mess & in a $30M hole a visionary
5). setting up a 'Board Member' Training... 

You can not be the creator of something and still be guilty as hell for supporting it. Those are not mutually exclusive. Also, the State isn't some omnipotent being that acts with instant will. The idea that the state would muster enough political pressure to do something 'quickly' is a false argument. That's just not how this works. In fact the Mayors support likely prevented state intervention to a large degree. There were very few board seat issues with JTA until 2023, which also correlates with the increased spending & actual big bucket expenses on the NAVI Program. All of these things correlate a little too perfectly.

#77

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

Last post by Ken_FSU - October 08, 2026, 03:52:39 PM

This forum will find the excuses for sure & Jacksonville will continue to suffer from the same level of corruption that Donna ran against. To argue she is not responsible after what was actually spent during her term is astounding. She knew Day 1 the Clown Cars were a bad idea, but decided it was worth the political baggage to protect JTA & Nat Ford (fact). She attended every possible BS press event, got on podcasts to tell us how she had it all figured out & we were just a bunch of dummies.

It's definitely an interesting discussion. I think it's totally fair to acknowledge that she has legitimate egg all over her face for so vocally supporting U2C since taking office. Many people here, myself included, have said since the first day that she took office that she was leaving herself exposed in the next election by championing something so obviously reckless.

That said, I think it's also fair to not hold her personally responsible for the U2C boondoggle. It was a project that she inherited, that the Feds had already written a fat check for BUILD grants for, that City Council had already appropriated $250 million in local option gas tax dollars for, and that Holon had already pretended to be moving a $100 million factory into Jacksonville for because of.

What good does it do Jacksonville for a mayor to shit on a project that's already committed, and that we're already indebted to the Feds for? And what power does she realistically have to stop it? She can't overturn City Council unilaterally. Her two board members can't override the others.

She's clearly doing something very right in Jacksonville, given her approval rating, and given the fact that she's yet to get obliterated on a Tuesday, put on a backyards hat, drop in at Kona, and then threaten to fist-fight a Council Member on Twitter.

Deegan and her team secured the Jags for another 30 years. Executed a historic CBA agreement. Brought the riverfront parks across the finish line after parks like Friendship Fountain sat crumbling for a half-decade. Made meaningful progress in septic tank phaseout and long-overdue infrastructure projects. Meaningfully expanded access to healthcare and affordable housing. Public transportation and JTA overhaul wasn't a platform that she ran on, and I'm more than willing to give her grace that she can't unilaterally become a transportation expert and fix everything wrong with this city in ~3 years. Nat Ford clearly had EVERYONE bamboozled with his admittedly impressive resume and pied piper bullshit.

That said, she should have known better - or someone on her team should have known better - than to repeatedly dismiss NAVI doubters and to baselessly push the narrative that the NAVI was primed for success. Those clips will surely come back to haunt her come election season.

#78

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

Last post by Jax_Developer - October 08, 2026, 01:56:58 PM

This forum will find the excuses for sure & Jacksonville will continue to suffer from the same level of corruption that Donna ran against. To argue she is not responsible after what was actually spent during her term is astounding. She knew Day 1 the Clown Cars were a bad idea, but decided it was worth the political baggage to protect JTA & Nat Ford (fact). She attended every possible BS press event, got on podcasts to tell us how she had it all figured out & we were just a bunch of dummies.

Even til this day is defending Holon's plant & acting like Ford was a visionary? I love this whole "yeah so this board member only brought up ridership & tuition concerns..." so lets remove her & replace her with my BFF. ABSURD - newsflash - you don't uncover the entire fraud all at once.

I can't wait for people to reply to this telling me "oh the state should have done something" lol... They were probably getting a good laugh out of it until it got serious.. you know because most local communities don't have to bicker over in your face fraud. Most just accept it or actually have a backbone against it.

#79

Politics / Re: Jacksonville Elections 202...

Last post by Jax_Developer - October 08, 2026, 01:39:51 PM

I'll believe Holon happens when they roll that first vehicle off the assembly line. They're not here if we aren't subsidizing them along with being the largest purchaser of their product. JTA is out of money, so whats the point?

Deegan isn't a dummy & knows this too. So then why say otherwise?

#80

Downtown / LaVilla's 318 Broad Street hea...

Last post by thelakelander - October 08, 2026, 12:40:26 PM

A project to rehabilitate LaVilla's former Progress Furniture building at 318 Broad Street seeks approval from the Downtown Development Review Board on October 8, 2026. Here is a look at what's proposed. Let us know what you think!

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/lavilla-s-318-broad-street-headed-to-ddrb/