Diane Melendez
07-11-2009, 11:40 PM
If you watch the news on television or read the newspaper, you will have likely seen consummate "Good Ole Boy" Jake Godbold front and center defending "his boy" John Peyton from critics and FOP leaders. Jake most of you know is from the time and place in Jacksonville politics that was rife with the type of politicians most disdain today. The hot shot wheeler and dealer, meeting with buddies and friends "out of the sunshine" making plans and cutting deals. He loved the shade, loved the spotlight and loved being in charge. He certainly is enjoying himself as the "self appointed" savior and defender of his "boy" John Peyton. These moments in the spotlight come too far and few these days for Godbold.
Since the election of John Peyton, Godbold has been living vicariously through the millionaire son of Herb Peyton of Gate Petrolium. In fact, he can often be seen entering or leaving the mayors office. He is one of Peyton's mentors and Peyton has been the ideal mente, ready and willing to embrace the type of politics of Goldbold's day no matter how hard handed or self serving those politics may be. By today's standards Godbold's politics are questionable at best and potentially illegal at their worst. Godbold is working the press rather expertly too, because most local reporters currently doing reports including Goldbold are too young to know the truth about Jake's style of politics. They will not remember the "deals" Jake brokered and certainly many were not even born when he was doing his thing in Jacksonville.
Now, good old Jake is running interference for Peyton behaving like an enraged babysitter protecting his charge. The entire thing is so farcical it is laughable. Godbold, many may not realize is a paid lobbyist for Waste Management and stood to make alot of money from the Trail Ridge deal, as he has already done in the past, from this city through his association to Waste Management and other entities. He was none too happy either when John was unable to pull that deal off inspite of all Goldbold's instructions, manipulations and input. Jake has already strong armed other deals for this company through this city in the past and has caused more than one city employee to lose their job if they stood between him and his goal. He must have really been disappointed when Waste Management and his buddy Paul Harden were shut down this time by city council. Godbold is part and parcel of the past in every way from his bombastic behavior to his racial views then and now. He is still living that mindset today.
It is no surprise that Goldbold has stepped up to support Peyton and publicly "lament" the challenges Peyton faces and the fact that things are difficult for him, because Peyton has been following Jakes advice and embraced his tactics. Of course Godbold is going to defend him, as he is also defending what he considers proper politics, the politics that are the direct product of the "Good Old Boy's" of old.
The recent statements Godbold has made about the actions of Nelson Cuba and the threatened FOP "boycott" of Gate Petroleum has me rolling with laughter. The entire situation is a lesson in hypocrisy and is really very funny. Here we have an aged bully feigning disgust and distaste over the actions of FOP boss Cuba when the reality is Cuba has merely embraced behaviors long used by Godbold and Peyton themselves, which have meant intimidating or threatening those who get in their way. That often includes putting pressure on the businesses of political opponents and the businesses of their families. When the tables got turned and the pressure was coming their way, they squealed "foul" like piggies stuck with a poke. The reality is turnabout is fair play. They got poked hard and they can't stand it.
There is a lesson in this for Cuba too. As leader of the FOP it was he who helped determine that they would support John Peyton for mayor twice. Now he is reaping the the "fruit" of that endorsement and what he is getting is a bunch of "rotten fruit". I hope Cuba and the FOP, along with the Fire Union remember that those who come with grand promises propped up by wealth, favor and influence will drop them on their bottoms when they are done using them. With another race for mayor already beginning, perhaps the local unions should rethink their own politics and make better choices in the upcoming race, else they find themselves at odds yet again with those they worked long and hard to support. The day's of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours are failing on all sides. A new day is coming, in fact it looks like it is already here.
http://www.jacksonville.com/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2009/07/11/461991771.jpg (http://www.jacksonville.com/files/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2009/07/11/461991771.jpg) photos from jacksonville.com
http://www.jacksonville.com/files/imagecache/meta_section_pane/met_1JakeGodbold021679767118.jpg (http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-07-11/story/former_mayor_godbold_winces_at_peytons_plight)
Since the election of John Peyton, Godbold has been living vicariously through the millionaire son of Herb Peyton of Gate Petrolium. In fact, he can often be seen entering or leaving the mayors office. He is one of Peyton's mentors and Peyton has been the ideal mente, ready and willing to embrace the type of politics of Goldbold's day no matter how hard handed or self serving those politics may be. By today's standards Godbold's politics are questionable at best and potentially illegal at their worst. Godbold is working the press rather expertly too, because most local reporters currently doing reports including Goldbold are too young to know the truth about Jake's style of politics. They will not remember the "deals" Jake brokered and certainly many were not even born when he was doing his thing in Jacksonville.
Now, good old Jake is running interference for Peyton behaving like an enraged babysitter protecting his charge. The entire thing is so farcical it is laughable. Godbold, many may not realize is a paid lobbyist for Waste Management and stood to make alot of money from the Trail Ridge deal, as he has already done in the past, from this city through his association to Waste Management and other entities. He was none too happy either when John was unable to pull that deal off inspite of all Goldbold's instructions, manipulations and input. Jake has already strong armed other deals for this company through this city in the past and has caused more than one city employee to lose their job if they stood between him and his goal. He must have really been disappointed when Waste Management and his buddy Paul Harden were shut down this time by city council. Godbold is part and parcel of the past in every way from his bombastic behavior to his racial views then and now. He is still living that mindset today.
It is no surprise that Goldbold has stepped up to support Peyton and publicly "lament" the challenges Peyton faces and the fact that things are difficult for him, because Peyton has been following Jakes advice and embraced his tactics. Of course Godbold is going to defend him, as he is also defending what he considers proper politics, the politics that are the direct product of the "Good Old Boy's" of old.
The recent statements Godbold has made about the actions of Nelson Cuba and the threatened FOP "boycott" of Gate Petroleum has me rolling with laughter. The entire situation is a lesson in hypocrisy and is really very funny. Here we have an aged bully feigning disgust and distaste over the actions of FOP boss Cuba when the reality is Cuba has merely embraced behaviors long used by Godbold and Peyton themselves, which have meant intimidating or threatening those who get in their way. That often includes putting pressure on the businesses of political opponents and the businesses of their families. When the tables got turned and the pressure was coming their way, they squealed "foul" like piggies stuck with a poke. The reality is turnabout is fair play. They got poked hard and they can't stand it.
There is a lesson in this for Cuba too. As leader of the FOP it was he who helped determine that they would support John Peyton for mayor twice. Now he is reaping the the "fruit" of that endorsement and what he is getting is a bunch of "rotten fruit". I hope Cuba and the FOP, along with the Fire Union remember that those who come with grand promises propped up by wealth, favor and influence will drop them on their bottoms when they are done using them. With another race for mayor already beginning, perhaps the local unions should rethink their own politics and make better choices in the upcoming race, else they find themselves at odds yet again with those they worked long and hard to support. The day's of you scratch my back and I will scratch yours are failing on all sides. A new day is coming, in fact it looks like it is already here.
http://www.jacksonville.com/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2009/07/11/461991771.jpg (http://www.jacksonville.com/files/editorial/images/images/mdControlled/cms/2009/07/11/461991771.jpg) photos from jacksonville.com
http://www.jacksonville.com/files/imagecache/meta_section_pane/met_1JakeGodbold021679767118.jpg (http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-07-11/story/former_mayor_godbold_winces_at_peytons_plight)