The Citizens of Jacksonville are Struggling

[Diane Melendez]

There is alot of discussion and debate underway with regard to Peyton's requested property tax increase. While the tax raise is being depicted as minimal, it's impact is not. I think it is important for everyone to recognize that now more than ever, the average taxpayer and homeowner are suffering and struggling to make ends meet. I found this email sent to the mayor and city council an excellent example of the reality one "average" citizen is facing and unfortunatley this citizen is not alone.



From: whit2226 [mailto:whit2226@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 5:47 AM
To: Mayor John Peyton; Yarborough, Clay; Bishop, Bill; Clark, Richard; Redman, Don; Shad, Art; Webb, Jack; Gaffney, Johnny; Lee, Denise; Jones, Warren; Brown, Reginald; Holt, Ray; Davis, Daniel; Graham, Art; Corrigan, Michael; Fussell, Ronnie; Crescimbeni, John; Joost, Stephen; Hyde, Kevin; Johnson, Glorious
Cc: whit2226@bellsouth.net
Subject: Allyson White/ 6-25-09 Mayor John Peyton: FIX IT NOW!
Importance: High

Hello,
I am emailing this to all of you as I am an "independent voter" and I want you to know that I have had to cut expenses I think Mayor Peyton needs to find a better way. His campaign promises were to NOT raise property taxes now he needs a "bail out"

His letter is at the bottom and my response is at the top.
thank you for listening.. Allyson White Jacksonville Florida


I am 61 and I live alone, I work 5 days a week in a credit union mortgage department
and I am under the federal poverty guidelines but am not eligible for any services.

I am not eligible to go on my husband's social security (he was DOD) I stayed home to raise 3 children who are now productive adults . As a result of not working my social security input was small and I have no retirement. I was divorced in Maine and it is not a 50-50 state.


My Elec bill went from $94 to $152 on Budget this year and I hear it is going up. I have windows in my home that do not lock and I have plastic on them all year round to keep heat in and air in.
I just requested a hard ship on my mortgage and then my Health Insurance went up $ 40..
I have to pay the once a year water for drains. I don't have any close to my home.
Home Insurance goes up each year.
I have no retirement and will be working the rest of my life--but HOW can I stay in my home with property tax increases,

I paid taxes on schools when my children were in school and I have no children at home today HOWEVER, I would like to see the schools teach girls about social security & retirement; Today ,families need two incomes and she should plan her own retirement; INFORM women when they choose to stay home to raise a family there is no money building (even thou SS was not meant to do that) I will have to depend on it completely because I did not know. So far my SS looks like less than $ 600/month.
No wonder I am sad , not a lot to look forward to.
The two largest poverty levels are single mothers and elderly woman


I am not the only woman in this position................................

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION: Instead of Property taxes Put a tax on SALES. Those who have MORE will buy more and that would help us lower income people. What is our unemployment rate in Florida?
I spend very little as there is no extra $ ( I have oatmeal 3- 4 nights a week for supper)

I want to stay in my home--
I am to young for a nursing home and my mortgage is lower than any apartment rent that I could find today.

Allyson White

[jbm32206]

That's the thing, people are facing financially difficult times. I know for myself, it's not likely that I'll be getting a decent cost of living increase, if there's any increase at all. My insurance is likely to have gone up, along with less coverage....this on top of having to pay those new taxes on top of the constant rate increases of my electric, water. sewage and gas bills....oh, and of course, rent always goes up yearly too....so just how the hell does he think the average person is going to be able to afford it?

[Uh Duh]

Do you want to live in a city where housing horses is more important than the plight of a woman named Allyson White? She could be your mother or your sister or your neighbor or you.

[GatorChomp85]

I think it's safe to say that Peyton has no future ambitions of higher political office.

[Noone]

I feel for Mrs. White.
The out and out greed and disregard of our elected legislative leaders has never been more in the forefront of our city then it is now.

A council that voted themselves to be part of the state pension Plan. Public Service-Cha Ching. Monuments for everyone. This benny just cost taxpayers millions.
Taxpayer bailout for attorney fees related to the Sunshine law violations. Cha -Ching

Mrs. White do you know what the current JEA delinquency rate is for your council district? I'm in district 4 and last year 10% of the residents were 90 days behind in their bills. Pay that 3% JEA surcharge fee. And don't be late because if you are late then you will be a LOSER. Thats right a LOSER. A slug on society who has complete and total disregard for socital norms and personal responsibility. Don't make any excuses because we need the money to pay our bennies NOW.
Mrs. White-You are not a LOSER but in my heart a WINNER for exercising your right to contact your legislative representatives and share your concerns.

Look up 2005-1007. EVERY, EVERY segment of govt. locally has positioned themselves to be part of a glorified welfare system. 19 council members will now vote to make us all pay for their taxpayer backed retirement. Part time legislators. How many millions would be saved immediately if this benny were repealed.

How many millions would be saved if this city reverted back to social security?

[Charles Hunter]

A lot of folks are asking why not raise the sales tax instead of the property tax (if a tax increase is warranted). Florida law (or Constitution) says local sales taxes can only be used for capital improvements - roads, buildings, sewer/water systems, etc. - and can't be used for day to day operating expenses. The Better Jax Plan - all capital items - funded by the sales tax. Thus, we can build libraries with BJP, but we can't buy books or pay staff for those libraries from BJP.

[Diane Melendez]

That is a very good question Charles and I have heard it being asked on a regular basis the past few days. I think if people trusted that their tax dollars were and would be spent fairly and appropriately they would much rather see a sales tax instead of a hike of property taxes. It is unfair to put the entire burden on the backs of homeowners, especially now. But first, the trust of the people has to be gained and that is going to take some serious commitment on the part of elected officials. Until that happens, I dont' believe for a minute that the people will support any sort of tax hike, no matter what it is described as.

[Barney]

Speaking of libraries.......I'm all for resources for folks to read, watch, learn, etc.

But it seems in the past few years we have spent a fortune building libraries every 5 miles, that are on prime properties, well landscaped but not well used.
Since technology has come so far and it is easier to have so many resources in our homes via internet or cable, it is not necessary to have so many large buildings with large inventories used by a few.

[Diane Melendez]

I think there are more people than we realize using libraries. They are still necessary. Considering that Jacksonville has a median income of $43,000.00, it becomes pretty evident that many, many homes are without computers. They are still expensive for a great number of people and the cost of internet, broadband, DSL the like are out of reach to them.

The library is a necessity for children and adults alike. While our technology has grown over the years, the ability to access that technology is still elusive for many. We still need our books, micro-phish, out of town papers, low priced DVD's to check out and all the other offerings of the mind that can be found in a library. In a city that is actually a county, everyone needs a library near them and I think the need will still exist many years down the road. However, one can readily argue the need for the vast downtown library structure. But that is now a done deal.

[Barney]

I agree it is still a needed service, but not so many. If you are at Beach & University Blvd. There are at least five libraries within 5-10 miles - downtown, hendricks, beach, n. university, regency etc.

[rjr120]

I can honestly say that I feel for Mrs. White. Although the elderly are one of the groups hit hardest by the current economic times, they are not the only people hurt.

I am one of those who are considered in the cracks. I am a full time student at UNF, currently a junior studying chemistry, and 95% of my annual income originates from federal loans and grants that are paid out three times a year. After years of waiting tables and running cash registers I was finally able to return to school three years ago thanks to the job my partner of ten years and been able to find. I have chosen a challenging degree path and hope to go into the environmental chemistry or geochemical fields.

Things were going well until my partner lost his job in April. I do have a part time job, but is not able to pay the bills and his former employer has, so far, been able to get out of paying any unemployment. The local Union is trying to help the situation but due to the long, bureaucratic processes put in place by both the company and the State, it taking too long. We both applied for food stamps but, because I am a full time student, I am automatically disqualified from the program. We now feed a two-person household on a benefit amount intended to feed one person.

In the mean time, the checking and savings accounts have been drained and all of the credit cards have been maxed. Our rent is due in two weeks and, due to several disagreements concerning non-functioning appliances and bugs in our apartment, the property owner is not going to be in a forgiving mood. I have used the “need more time” option for my JEA bill, which gives an extra month, but that now means we will have two bills due at the same time. JEA has been very clear that the day after the bill is due the service will be terminated if it has not been paid.

Even though all that is happening seems to be a terrible burden, the hardest concept to grasp is that, no matter where I have turned for help, doors are constantly closed in my face. We have tried calling the phone numbers provided by the United Way’s 2-1-1 service, but the lines for those organizations are always busy. The city’s phone line for rent and mortgage assistance opens weekdays at 9:30 am and promptly closes at 9:40 am when the appointments for the next day have been filled. We have tried to call different organizations and churches directly, but have been referred back to the same phone numbers that are never answered and told that these problems will only be handled over the phone with no exceptions. The search for assistance has been now been going on for several months.

The financial situation, for the most part, is only temporary. There is enough evidence that my partner will win his unemployment case eventually, but due to the antics of his former employer, it will take time. He is continuing to hunt for another job, but due to the medical restrictions he has, most “summer” jobs (i.e.: bagger or cashier at a grocery store) that could have helped remain out of his reach. My final exams for the summer term are over as of next week but the fall semester begins shortly thereafter. If I withdraw from school then my income for the next year is reduced dramatically which will severely complicate the situation long-term, never mind the fact that I have already pushed by degree back 15+ years due to financial difficulties. I have even attempted to look for assistance from UNF or another organization associated with the campus, but unfortunately I, personally, do not have a debilitating medical condition therefore there is nothing that can be done to assist me.

My next influx of income will be in late September and, with the serious tightening I’ve instituted in the budget, we will get though. Unfortunately, if we cannot find help in the immediate, this temporary situation will stretch from a couple months to several years. I have tried applying for a small loan from my credit union but, even though I have worked hard to maintain good credit, I do not have enough income to be approved. Neither one of us have family left to ask for help. We are seriously running out of time to prevent this hiccup from morphing into a disaster and have found nothing but people apologizing for not being able help us. We are in the cracks: temporarily too poor to make ends meet, but too rich to receive any help.

There are many people who find themselves in a similar situation besides Mrs. White and myself. The most important lesson that I have gleaned from this is that, no matter how much you may pay into public institutions tasked with helping those in need, either through taxes or otherwise, you will most likely be denied if you ever find yourself in need of their services. It is only when individuals band together to help one another that these types of situation can be dealt with effectively. I may be accused for longing for the “good ole’ days” when people knew their neighbors and looked out for one another, but the only way of preventing disasters like these is to do exactly that.

[jbm32206]

I'm sorry to hear of your situation and certainly hope that things turn around very soon for you. You're so right, in sayingWe are in the cracks: temporarily too poor to make ends meet, but too rich to receive any help.and there's a great many who are in similar financial situations...it's not good