This is the final letter that was delivered July 11th

July 11, 2007

The Honorable John Peyton, Mayor
City of Jacksonville
117 W. Duval Street, Suite 400
Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Dear Mayor Peyton:

I am writing you today to express my deep concerns, and those of my constituency, regarding the actions by the Florida Legislature and the issue of property tax cuts. The end result being that the most needy and vulnerable will suffer even more as the city drastically curtails its community services and social service program funding. How ironic that we tout the city’s quality of life, livability and safety, and then usher in an era of drastic and draconian cuts in programs and services. At a time when violent crime is soaring, with nightly news reports on these acts of human carnage gripping our citizens in an unrelenting cycle of senseless acts and fear; and now we are entering our most vulnerable season of wildfires, hurricanes and potential natural disasters, it seems counterproductive, and certainly unsafe, to suggest any cuts in fire safety and police protection.

Mr. Mayor, I want to strongly encourage you and the City Council to develop a sound and user friendly plan to combat this economic abyss we will find ourselves in. We cannot afford to be callous and insensitive to the well-being of our fellow citizens, we live among those that are burdened by life’s harsh realities, yet their lifeline of services are going to be cut without regard to the human cost. This is not an issue of political gain, it is most definitely an issue of serving the needs of the people, and these potential cuts do not serve their interests. We as a state, and particularly as a city, are already suffering high crime, low educational achievement, marginal healthcare for our children and seniors, low wages and less than adequate social and support services for our most vulnerable citizens. We must galvanize our leadership and community interests and put forth an agenda of help, not a manifest of despair.

As you prepare your proposed budget for submission to the City Council, you may serve the citizenry well by ensuring there is some transparency to the process. We can avoid wild speculation and even polarizing opinions if you share how cuts are to be made, what factors were considered, and how any formulas were used to make such decisions. This budget preparation and submission rests with you, however, the impacts falls on all of us, and services many have come to depend upon. This is not business as usual. We are faced with the most dramatic and burdensome shift of resources that government provides to its citizens, basic services that impact and protect a viable quality of life, and the results could be devastating. I am willing to work with you, the City Council and all levels of leadership in our community to develop a workable plan so services can continue unabated.

With kindest regards, I am

Cc: Members, Jacksonville City Council